This species belong to the Anatolichthys anatoliae group, with adult male distinguished from adult males of all other species in this group by having a black dorsal-fin base followed by a wide, white or hyaline band at about below the middle of the dorsal fin (vs. dorsal fin with a white or hyaline base or base and proximal part of dorsal fin hyaline in (anatoliae, fontinalis, saldae, splendens, sureyanus, transgrediens, dorsal fin with white or hyaline blotches shortly above the black dorsal-fin base in maeandricus, danfordii, marassantensis); adult male of A. iconii are distinguished by having a narrow black anal-fin margin (vs. margin wide or anal fin almost completely black in adult males of fontinalis, saldae, splendens, sureyanus, transgrediens) (Ref. 116528).