This species is characterized by the following features: body coloration variable, rich, brownish, greyish and/or yellowish dorsal colour pattern overlain with dense coverage of pale irregular streaks and large, ring-like ocelli; dorsal fins has alternating dark and light marginal blotches suffused with pale reticulations; dark saddles found on tail converging strongly toward ventral surface; ventral surface of trunk mainly uniformly pale; nasal barbel is bilobed; postspiracular lobes are well-developed, thallate, distance across preorbital group 1.8-2.5 times interspace between preorbital group and postspiracular lobe (PO/PO-PS1), 5.6-8.7 times base length of anterior postspiracular lobe (PO/PS1); base of anterior postspiracular lobe 2.6-4.5 in its distance from postorbital group (PO-PS1/PS1), 1.4-2.6 in its distance from posterior postspiracular lobe (PS1-PS2/PS1); back and above eye without warty tubercles; dorsal fins tall, upright in adult males; first dorsal-fin origin over mid pelvic-fin base; tip of pelvic fin below or slightly forward of insertion of first dorsal fin; interdorsal space 0.6-0.8 times the anal-fin base length; anal-fin inner margin 0.5-0.7 of anal-fin posterior margin; 21-22 teeth in upper jaw, medial row at symphysis of upper jaw absent; 46-49 monospondylous centra; 142-149 total vertebral centra (Ref. 74934).