Diagnosis: barbels tapered, not reaching edge of branchiostegal membrane; gap between supraoccipital process and nuchal plate; scutes on body thin, forming a narrow ridge; interorbit narrow, width 1.2-1.4 times orbit diameter; caudal peduncle long, 2.3-2.4 times in SL, slender (depth 35-40 times in length), encased

in bony scutes (Ref. 81646).

Description: body firm, depressed and tapered to caudal; dorsal and ventral bilateral bony ridges (scutes very narrow) from adjacent to dorsal fin and behind pelvic fins, respectively, caudal peduncle encased in bony scutes; head length 6.5 times in SL, head depressed, obtusely pointed; snout long, 61-65% of HL; nostrils separated, in mid-snout; eyes moderately large, orbit 17-20% HL, narrowly separated, interorbital width 1.2-1.4 times orbit diameter; mouth subterminal, small, oval-shaped; upper lip papillose, lower lips divided by triangular pad; barbels papillose, maxillary pair 40-47% HL; branchiostegal membrane continuous below, straight; supraoccipital process slender, not reaching nuchal shield; humeral process pointed; origin of dorsal less than head length behind head; dorsal fin in advance of pelvics; dorsal fin pointed, trailing edge concave; pectoral fins falcate, not reaching pelvics, leading ray curved, pectinate, padded; pelvic fins pointed, reaching to base of anal fin, leading ray pectinate, padded; anal fin slender, trailing edge straight; caudal small, forked; adipose small, behind anal base; ano-genital pores slightly nearer origin of pelvics than origin of anal; males with conical genital papilla (Ref. 81646).

Coloration: generally brown on head, body and flanks, yellow below, with 5-6 irregular large light spots along back; fins irregularly spotted with black (Ref. 81646).