This species is distinguished by the following characters: D VIII,9; pectoral fins 16-17; gill rakers 7-9 + 21-23 = 28-32; lateral line scales 34-36; body depth at first dorsal fin origin 26-30% SL and at anal-fin origin 22-25% SL; caudal-peduncle depth 9.9-11% SL; maximum head depth 23-26% SL; head depth through eye 17-20% SL; head length 30-33%SL; orbit length 6.8-8.5% SL; upper jaw length 12-14% SL; barbel length 19-23% SL; caudal-fin length 27-31% SL; anal-fin height 14-17% SL; pelvic-fin length 18-21% SL; pectoral-fin length 25-28% SL; first dorsal-fin height 23-26% SL; second dorsal-fin height 15-17% SL; 8-10 total bars on caudal fin, 4-6 brown bars on upper caudal-fin lobe, 3-5 of same color on lower lobe with the 3 proximal bars on upper lobe strongly curved and the 2 proximal bars on lower lobe slightly curved, with pale interspaces between bars are of nearly equal width on both lobes, and narrower than bars; in adult specimens, lower lobe often considerably shortened with only 3 bars, and the distal-most one increased in size; on preserved fish bars are retained. Fresh fish with 2 lateral body stripes, one pale-brown mid-lateral stripe reaching from behind head to caudal-fin base, and one below of same color, from pectoral-fin base to caudal-fin base; tip of first dorsal-fin dark as in preserved fish; head and body brassy to silvery grey, light rose laterally and slightly darker dorsally, belly pale in fresh fish; body and head uniformly brown or dorsally darkened in preserved fish (Ref. 83903).