Schistura nubigena can be diagnosed from all its congeners by having a unique color pattern consisting of 4 black bars in juveniles that evolve into 8 bars, more or less fused on the flank and the back to leave only 2 series of pale yellowish spots in the predorsal area and 4 narrow

transverse bands in subdorsal and postdorsal areas. Other helpful non-unique diagnostic characters include the following: latera line incomplete, reaching at most to above pelvic-fin base; proximal extremity of all rays of caudal fin with two vertically elongated blotches (one blotch per lobe); absence of sexual dimorphism; and dorsal fin with 8½ branched rays (Ref. 116725).