Paraschistura naumanni can be diagnosed from congeners in Iran by its pelvic-fin origin situated below or slightly in front of the vertical of the dorsal-fin origin (vs. behind dorsal-fin origin in other species). It differs from P. abdolii, P. cristata, P. kessleri and P. turcmenica by its body fully covered by scales (vs. scales absent on the back and on the flank in front of the dorsal-fin origin in P. abdolii and P. cristata and scales completely absent in P. kessleri and P. turcmenica). It can be further distinguished from P. cristata by lacking a long dorsal adipose crest (vs. presence) and an incomplete lateral line (vs. complete). It differs from P. bampurensis and P. hormuzensis by the absence of a suborbital flap in males (vs. presence) and from P. nielseni by the absence of a suborbital groove in males (vs. presence) (Ref. 103390).

Description: Dorsal fin with 7 1/2, anal fin with 5 1/2, pectoral fin with 7-9 and pelvic fin with 6-7 branched rays; caudal fin deeply emarginate; anal-, pelvic- and pectoral fins hyaline or with few dark-brown or black spots or short stripes on rays; back and flank covered by embedded scales. A large but overlapping variability exists in color patterns in and between different populations

of P. naumanni (Ref. 103390).