This species is distinguished by the following characters: body much less slender than typical for the genus, with very thin head bones; pelvic fin rays 12-13; pectoral fin rays 15-16; gill rakers 18-20; no barbel; orbit 21% HL; blunt snout with high frontal ridge, barely protruding, short, 23% HL; ventral striae extending about ? distance from pelvic fin bases to periproct region; infraorbital canal is wider than other canal systems; very small preopercular supporter; otolith compressed (otolith length to height (OL:OH) is 0.8; colliculi separated and small; small pseudocolliculum, total colliculum length to pseudocolliculum length (TCL:PCL) is 1.8 (Ref. 98298).