Pethia sanjaymoluri is diagnosed from all its congeners by a combination of the following characteristics: lateral line incomplete; barbels absent; fleshy upper lip; lateral-line pored scales ceasing after the seventh to 12th lateral-line scale; 23-25 scales in lateral series; 10 predorsal scales; 11-14 prepelvic scales; 17-20 pre-anal scales; 4 1?2 scales between dorsal-fin origin and lateral-line row; four scales between lateral-line row and pelvic-fin origin; last simple dorsal-fin ray strong, serrated, with 8-15 serrae on its distal half, one serra on its apical half; dorsal fin originating

behind pelvic-fin origin; caudal fin with 8+8 procurrent rays and 9+8 branched caudal-fin rays; four supraneurals; six predorsal neural spines; third infraorbital deep, overlapping preoperculum; gill rakers simple, four on lateral and 11-12 on medial margin of first ceratobranchial and four on medial side of first epibranchial; 4+5 predorsal vertebrae; 4+26 total vertebrae, with 4+13 abdominal and 13 caudal vertebrae. Body color pattern consists of a black humeral spot below the lateral line, covering third and fourth lateral-line scales and extending to one scale below the lateral-line row; a caudal spot, covering 17 th-19th scales in lateral series; apical half of dorsal-fin membrane between anterior-most five branched rays studded with melanophores, making the tip of the dorsal fin appear dark black; and anal, pelvic and pectoral fins colorless in adults (Ref. 107652).

Description: Dorsal-fin rays iii 8; anal-fin rays iii 5; pectoral-fin rays i 12-14; and pelvic-fin rays i 7 (Ref. 107652).