This species is distinguished from its congeners in the Persian Gulf basin by a combination of characters, none of which is unique to the species: differs from G. amirhosseini by having exposed non-embedded scales on the belly and predorsal midline (vs. embedded); differs from G. gymnothorax, G. rufa. by the branched dorsal-fin rays which is usually 71/2 (vs. 8 1/2): chest covered by embedded scales while its belly with exposed non-embedded scales (vs. usually scaleless chest in G. gymnothorax, rare in G. rufa whose chest is usually covered by exposed or embedded scales); differs from G. persica by the caudal-fin rays 9 + 8 (vs. 8 + 8); differs from G. mondica by having the chest covered by embedded scales and belly with free, non-embedded scales (vs. chest and belly scaleless or with very small scales deeply embedded), and with scales from the base of the last pelvic-fin ray to the anterior margin of the anus 6-7 (usually 6) (vs. 4-6, usually 5); differs from the subterranean Garra species from the Iranian Tigris River drainage by having the flank fully covered by scales (vs. scaleless in G. lorestanensis, G. typhlops, few scales on anterior part of flank in G. tashanensis); with a well-developed mental disc (vs. absent in G. typhlops); well-developed eye (vs. reduced in G. lorestanensis, G. tashanensis, G. typhlops); pigmented body surface (vs. no pigmentation in G. lorestanensis, G. tashanensis, G. typhlops); differs from G. elegans by having free lateral and posterior margins of the mental disc (vs. fully attached) (Ref. 123809).