Description: Labeobarbus nzadimalawu has a rather shallow body depth, a low dorsal-fin height, and a shallow and elongated caudal peduncle; it is a relatively small-sized Labeobarbus species with a maximum observed size of about 213 mm standard length (Ref. 127934). Labeobarbus nzadimalawu has a typical Labeobarbus-mouth phenotype characterized by the presence of a free mental lobe of variable size; anterior and posterior pair of barbels always present and well-developed; never papillae on jaws, neither on upper nor on lower jaw; some specimens have a nose appendage; lower jaw always clearly shorter than upper jaw (Ref. 127934). Tubercles are present on all except the smallest specimens of less than 62.9 mm standard length, and, as such, are most likely present in males and females; they are apparently present all over the seasons; usually, tubercles are present all over the snout, i.e. on the dorsum of snout and lateral sides of snout between angle of fleshy lips and eye, and all over the dorsum of head up to nape, i.e. between the posterior edge of the head and the anterior edge of the predorsal area; a few larger specimens have a small number of tubercles below eyes, level with the infraorbital bones up to the preopercular/opercular skin fold; specimens with a well-developed nose were largely devoid of tubercles on the dorsum of the snout, i.e. from behind the nose up to the level of the anterior edge of the nostrils; finally, remainder of body without tubercles (Ref. 127934). Lateral line scales with sinuous and parallel, although sometimes somewhat converging, striae; number of striae on the posterior edge of these scales between about 34 and 43; total number of lateral line scales 35-41, number of predorsal scales 10-13, number of scales above lateral line 4.5-6.5, number of scales in-between lateral line and pelvic fin 3-4, number of scales in-between lateral line and ventral midline 5.5-6.5, number of circumpeduncular scales 12-16, number of dorsal-fin base scales 6-10, number of anal-fin base scales 4-6 (Ref. 127934). The pharyngeal teeth number is 2.3.5-5.3.2 with the first tooth of the inner row being absent on the right pharyngeal bone; on the left pharyngeal bone there are two additional smaller teeth present median of the inner row, those are not firmly attached to the bone but rather loosely embedded in the surrounding soft tissue, one of them already well-developed, the other one is more like a dome-like cusp (Ref. 127934). Number of unbranched dorsal-fin rays 4, number of branched dorsal-fin rays 9-11, total number of dorsal-fin rays 13-15, number of unbranched anal-fin rays 3, number of branched anal-fin rays 6, total number of anal-fin rays 9, number of pectoral-fin rays 14-16, number of pelvic-fin rays 8, number of caudal-fin rays 17 (Ref. 127934).

Colouration: Live specimens silvery to white-grey on head, lateral side and dorsal midline; most proximal part of the scales, the scale pockets, dark grey to blackish and this especially for the scales above the lateral line; the remaining, more distal part of the surface of the scales, silvery, white-grey; fins darker, greish-blue, with their distal margins whitish or even translucent; ventral side and lower lateral side of head and body, below the lateral line, often a yellowish hue; base of pectoral and pelvic fins sometimes also yellowish (Ref. 127934). In alcohol, proximal surface of scales generally blackish and this especially for the scales above the lateral line; absent in some of the larger specimens , while persistent in others; fins generally light brown-whitish, although some parts might be blackish; the fin rays themselves yellowish-white; with increasing size, fins more and more blackish, although the rays remain light brown yellowish-white (Ref. 127934).