Diagnosis: pigment pattern with striking dark marbel-patches; adipose fin short and notched (Ref. 74418).

Description: body long, cylindrical, moderately compressed posteriorly, soft and fleshy, predorsal extended; head length 4-5 times in SL; head stocky, rounded anteriorly, flat below, round above; snout short; eyes far forward, tiny and widely separated (interorbital width 5-8 times orbit diameter), confluent with head surface; postorbit large, prominent and bulging in larger males; mouth subterminal, broad; lips fleshy; teeth caniniform on premaxillae pad and in band along mandible; barbels long, slender and filamentous, maxillary and outer mandibular pairs reaching beyond head and pectoral base; branchiostegal membrane deeply cleft in mid-ventral line; caudal peduncle short and deep; fins generally small, short, soft and rounded; origin of dorsal in advance of pelvics; dorsal base extends above pelvic base; pectorals short, rounded, leading ray soft, weakly pectinate and padded; pelvics below mid-dorsal, short, rounded, not reaching anal, lead ray weakly pectinate and padded; anal short, round, not reaching caudal base; caudal fin broad and rounded, trailing edge truncate; adipose fin short, above and behind posterior half of anal base, reaching procurrent caudal ridge; anus and genital pore close to base of pelvics (Ref. 81646). Dorsal fin i,6; anal fin ii-iv,6-8; caudal fin 7+8 or 8+9; pectoral fin i,6-7; pelvic fin i,5 (Ref. 74418).

Coloration: variable, usually markedly variegated, speckled or spotted in dark brown and cream or white; also, spots can be obscured by darker brown pigment above and light brown-cream below on head and anterior body; caudal fin spotted; other fins with brown bars on rays and occasional or no spots or brown pigment (Ref. 81646).