Distinguishable from other Japanese striated spined loaches by the following characteristics: body size relatively small, the mature size about 40-60 mm SL in males, 50-70 mm SL in females; lamina circularis at the base of the pectoral fin of adult male roundish plate, somewhat narrowing toward the outerpart; upper segments of the first branched soft ray of pectoral fin narrow and weak; PMN commonly 12; snout elongated; line L1 consisting of a series of 15-20 blotches; line L2 formed by longitudinal jagged line, reaching to postdorsal region, fused with L1; line L3 formed by incomplete longitudinal line, reaching to caudal base, fused with L1 and L4 on postdorsal body in non-spawning season; line L5 organized in 11-13 blotches in non-spawning season; caudal and dorsal fins with thin 4-6 arcuate bars; upper spot at the caudal base black, approximately eye diameter; lower spot at caudal base faint; spots not connected; egg yolk diameter approximately 0.8 mm; karyotype diploid (2n = 50) (Ref. 92393).