Can be distinguished from its congeners by possessing the following unique combination of characters: body brown and head dorsum brown when preserved; body greenish-grey with black spots and reticulate pattern, head greenish-grey with black spots when alive; all fins greenish-grey when alive; absence of secondary rostrum; absence of a postoral pouch; gill slit angular, subopercular groove present and continuous to pectoral fin origin; a rounded snout when viewed dorsally; presence of sublacrymal groove; abdomen without scales; lateral line with 72-75 scales; pelvic fin just touching anal fin origin, adpressed dorsal fin not overlapping level of anal fin origin (Ref. 57871).