Barbus cyri can be distinguished from all other congeners of the Barbus lacerta group by possessing a convex posterior anal-fin margin (vs. straight) and a wide upper lip (width of upper lip 7-9 %HL vs. 4-6 %HL). It can be further diagnosed by the following characters: tip of anal-fin, when pressed to body, not reaching or reaching to middle of distance between base of last anal-fin ray and lower caudal-fin origin; scale rows between tip of anal fin and base of caudal fin 3-6 (mode 5); length of caudal peduncle 1.7-2.3 times longer than deep; snout short, its length 44-47% of body depth at dorsal-fin origin; maxillary barbel 12-30 %HL, not reaching to posterior eye margin; gular region rectangular; 60-70% of posterior margin of last unbranched dorsal-fin ray covered with denticles; eye diameter 2.5-2.9 times in snout length; median pad of lower lip wide and shallow; total scales along lateral line 50-66+2-4; and predorsal scales 24-34 (mode 29) (Ref. 115584).

Description: Dorsal fin with 3-4 unbranched rays and 7-8 branched rays; anal fin with 3-4 unbranched rays and 5-6 branched rays (Ref. 115584).