Diagnosis: Luciobarbus rifensis differs from other species of Luciobarbus by the following combination of characters: 42-46 scales on the lateral line, 8.5-9.5 scales above lateral line, and 3.5-5.5 scales below lateral line; insertions of dorsal fin and ventral fin were situated similarly on the body or the insertion of the dorsal fin is lightly anterior to the ventral fin origin; last single fin ray is ossified and denticulated along its length; the denticulations at mid-height of the ray are shorter than the ray width; in adult specimens, the lower lip is well developed with retracted medial lobe revealing the dentary; the ethmoid bone is wider than long; vertebrae 41-42; and 10-15 gill rakers (Ref. 107580).

Description: A medium-sized species that rarely reaches 500 mm; the body is short and deep in comparison with other Luciobarbus species with maximum body depth 22-28% of standard length (Ref. 107580). The head is large with respect to the body with head length 23.2-27.8% of standard length; circumorbital bones are narrow; the barbels were long with the first barbel not reaching the anterior edge of the eye; the second barbel usually extended to the posterior edge of the eye, but did not reach the preopercle; in females, the first barbel is 14.5-36% of head length and the second 20-40.3% of head length; the lips are thick with the inferior usually retracted in adults making the dentary bone visible; some specimens do not exhibit inferior lip retraction and show well developed lips; the lacrimal bone has a short manubrium; the eye is placed anteriorly in the head; preorbital length is 7.1-10.6% of standard length, and postorbital length is 10.2-12.5% of standard length; the snout is characteristically rounded; the iris is yellow pigmented at the superior border but is less conspicuous than in other species of Luciobarbus; the jugal spacious closes at the same vertical plane of the eye and from 11-12 pores were present in the inferior branch of the preopercular (Ref. 107580). The dorsal fin was located posterior on the body, with the predorsal distance being 51.2-55.9% of standard length; dorsal fin with 4 unbranched and 8 branched rays; the profile of the dorsal fin was slightly concave, and presents the last single ray strongly ossified and denticulated; anal fin with 3 unbranched and 5 branched rays; pectoral fin with 1 unbranched and 15-16 branched rays; pelvic fin with 1 unbranched ad 8 branched rays; the pectoral and ventral fins are longer in males, and the anal fin is longer in females; ventral fins are inserted in the same vertical plane as the origin of the dorsal fin or slightly posterior to the dorsal fin; the length of the caudal fin is 14.9-26.5% of standard length (Ref. 107580). Scales on lateral line number 42-46; 8.5-9.5 scales above lateral line; 3.5-5.5 scales below lateral line (Ref. 107580). The caudal peduncle is high and short with a height of 32.6-39% of standard length; the height of the caudal peduncle is 1.2 to 2 times the length of the anal peduncle (Ref. 107580). The skull is long and narrow with a wide ethmoid bone; infraorbitals are narrow with a large lacrimal bone; the basioccipital plate is triangular; the palatine process of maxilla is small; the superior branch of the pharyngeal bone forms a closed angle with respect to inferior branch (Ref. 107580). Pharyngeal teeth in adults 4.3.2-4.3.2 (Ref. 107580).

Colouration: The colouration of Luciobarbus rifensis is brown-yellowish with darker fins, with the body becoming progressively paler in the ventral region; juveniles present black blotches (Ref. 107580).