This species is distinguished from its congeners (with well developed transverse lobe and proboscis) by the following characters: with bilobed proboscis; with a moderate to large unicuspid acanthoid tubercle at the end of each lobe; lateral line scales 36-37; last branched ray of pelvic fin reaching to or exceeding posterior margin of anus, the anus to anal-fin distance 36-37% of pelvic-anal distance; transverse lobe with 14-21 conspicuous small to large unicuspid acanthoid tubercles; predorsal scales 11-12; transverse scale rows above the lateral line 3½ (Ref. 119513).