Diagnosis: Within the Congo basin, Enteromius radari belongs to the group of sawfin minnows with a thickened last unbranched dorsal-fin ray and is thereby distinguished from all congeners from the Congo basin with a soft last unbranched dorsal-fin ray (Ref. 128600). It differs from other species with a weakly thickened spine, notably E. mediosquamatus, E. taeniurus and E. tomiensis, by its serrations on the spine vs. unserrated dorsal spine (Ref. 128600). Within the group of the sawfin minnows, having a thickened spine with serrations, it differs from E. afrovernayi, E. apleurogramma, E. oligogrammus and E. petchkovskyi by its complete lateral line vs. incomplete; in addition, it differs from E. apleurogramma and E. oligogrammus by its weakly thickened dorsal spine vs. a strongly thickened, and further by its lower number of lateral line scales from E. afrovernayi, 22-26 vs. 29-32; it differs from the remaining sawfin minnows by its weakly thickened, thin dorsal spine of which only the middle part is weakly serrated, vs. a strongly thickened, stout spine, well serrated over almost its entire length in E. ansorgii, E. eutaenia, E. kerstenii as well as E. tangandensis, E. mattozi, E. miiolepis, E.neumayeri, E. pellegrini and E. trinotatus; it can further be distinguished from E. pellegrini by its lower number of lateral line scales, 22-26 vs. 28-30; it can be distinguished from E. afrohamiltoni, E. lukindae, E. neumayeri, E. paludinosus, E. trimaculatus and E. vanderysti by its lower number of lateral line scales, 22-26 vs. 29-33, 29-30, 30-31, 34-39, 30-36 and 29, respectively (Ref. 128600). Furthermore, based on its colour pattern, E. radari can be distinguished from E. eutaenia, E. devosi, E. miolepis and E. luikae by the presence of three or four blotces along the flanks, situated just above the lateral line, and interconnected or not by a narrow, sometimes inconspicuous, black stripe vs. a permanent, continuous, black mid-lateral band; E. radari can be distinguished from E. guirali and E. machadoi as well, by the presence of these black markings along the body flanks vs. absence; E. radari can be distinguished from E. multilineatus and E. trinotatus also, by the above black marking character vs. a large black, mid-lateral band on the body but with several thin longitudinal black bands above and below this main band, and three elongated, narrow black spots respectively (Ref. 128600). Within the group of Enteromius species with a weakly thickened, serrated spine, it differs from E. chicapaensis and E. chiumbeensis by its higher number of lateral line scales, 22-26 vs. 21-23 and 20-21, respectively; in addition, it differs from E. chicapaensis by the presence of a series of three or four black blotches just above the mid-lateral line of the body vs. absence; furthermore, within this group it differs from E. holotaenia and E. martorelli by a series of three or four black blotches just above the mid-lateral line of the body vs. a continuous black band; finally, E. radari differs clearly from E. janssensi by the absence of cephalic pitlines vs. presence, and by the presence of blotches vs. indistinct black band larger on the anterior part and narrowing at mid-body level, by its lower number of lateral line scales, 22-26 vs. 24-27, and its lower number of circumpeduncular scales, 10-12 vs. 12 (Ref. 128600).

Description: Head profile pointed; nape curved (Ref. 128600). Head exceeding one quarter but does not reach one-third of standard length; preopercular as long as preoccipital distance; eye diameter small; snout length nearly one third of head length or slightly less; anterior barbels reaching mid-way of eye; posterior ones reaching beyond anterior border of preoperculum (Ref. 128600). Body somewhat laterally compressed in cross section; body depth increasing from the occiput reaching its maximum height at about level of dorsal-fin origin; the difference between height at occiput and height at dorsal-fin origin varies from about 1.0-9.0% of standard length; pectoral fin tip reaching level of dorsal fin origin; dorsal profile curved; pelvic-fin base origin well behind dorsal-fin origin and not reaching origin of anal fin; lateral line complete, curved downwards from first to sixth scale, thereafter straight up to caudal fin; caudal peduncle longer than deep (Ref. 128600). Dorsal fin with 10-11 rays, anal fin with 8 rays, pelvic fin with 8-9 rays, pectoral fin with 13-16 rays (Ref. 128600). Scales on lateral line 22-26, scales from dorsal fin to lateral line 4.5, scales between lateral line and pelvic fin 2.5-3.0, predorsal scales 7-10, circumpeduncular scales 10-12, scales between lateral line and the middle of belly 4.5 (Ref. 128600). First dorsal-fin pterygiophore element, supporting the first and second unbranched dorsal-fin rays, between neural spines of the vertebral centrum 9 and 10, rarely 8 and 9; first pterygiophore of anal-fin rays inserted between vertebral centrum 19 and 20, 20 and 21 and rarely 18 and 19; vertebrae between first pterygiophores of dorsal and anal fin, 10-13; preanal caudal vertebrae 1 or 2, rarely 3; hypural 1 fused with parhypural 2; however, with a clearly visible seam between the two elements; hypural 1 and 2 either separated, but most often fused with a visible seam; four hypural elements, hypural 3-6, attached to the pleurostyle; a single epural present; caudal fin with 18-19 principal rays, 8 or 9 lower principal rays supported by the parhypural and hypural 1 and 2 and commonly 10, rarely 11, supported by the hypural 3-6; 7-9 upper procurrent rays and 6-9 lower procurrent rays (Ref. 128600). Pharyngeal jaw with pharyngeal teeth in three rows, with one or two teeth in the lateral row, two to three teeth in central row and four to five teeth in medial row; contralateral sides often differ in the tooth count on each of the three rows; distal teeth more pointed than proximal; on the right pharyngeal jaw, tips of distal teeth hooked; 9 and 10 teeth on left and right pharyngeal jaw, respectively (Ref. 128600). On the same pharyngeal jaw, the largest tooth is followed by a small one; furthermore, distance between last tooth and the tip of the proximal end of the bone long on the left pharyngeal bone only (Ref. 128600).

Colouration: In life, overall body colouration silver-blackish dorsally, while silver-brownish ventrally; flanks with a series of 3-4 black blotches situated just above lateral line; size and shape of blotches changing with size, i.e. small and round in specimens up to about 50 mm standard length, larger and more horizontally elongated in larger specimens; spots interconnected by a fine, inconspicuous, dark stripe; first blotch elongated and situated above pectoral fin and mainly anterior to dorsal fin; second one also elongated and situated in-between levels of posterior tips of dorsal and anal fins and connected to the third, which has a horizontally orientated diamond shape and is situated at caudal-fin base; upper part of iris of eye red; dorsal fin and upper lobe of caudal fin orange (Ref. 128600). In preserved specimens, colour pattern comparable to that of live specimens but flanks becoming darker, black spots brighter and fins brown greyish; fin dark stripe absent (Ref. 128600).