This species is distinguished from its congeners in the Persian Gulf basin by the following set of characters, none of them unique to the species: differs from G. mondica by having 3 (very rarely 2) scales between the anus and the anal-fin origin (vs. usually 2) and with chest covered by scales with free posterior margins (vs. scales fully embedded); differs from G. amirhosseini by having 3 (very rarely 2) scales between the anus and the anal-fin origin (vs. usually 2); differs from G. elegans by having free lateral and posterior margins of the gular disc (vs. fully attached); differs from G. gymnothorax, G. rufa by the branched dorsal-fin rays which is usually 7½ (vs. usually 8½); differs from G. gymnothorax with posterior margins of the scales on the chest and belly not embedded in the skin (vs. chest scaleless in some G. gymnothorax and scales fully embedded, with free posterior margins or chest scaleless in G. rufa ); differs from G. meymehensis by having scales with free posterior margins on the chest (vs. embedded); differs from G. tiam by branched dorsal-fin rays usually 7½ (vs. 8½), circumpeduncular scale rows 13-16 (vs. 12–13), and chest covered by scales (vs. chest scaleless); differs from G. persica by the caudal-fin rays usually 9+8 (vs. 8+8) (Ref. 128970).