This species is distinguished from its congeners in the peninsular, northeastern, and central India, and Sri Lanka by the following characters: an incomplete lateral line with 6-7 pores, ending at a point vertical at half the length of the adpressed pectoral fin; dorsal fin and caudal fin without spots or blotches; body with 9-10 bars that are wider or almost equal in width to the interspaces; dorsal fin, anal fin and sub-dorsal bars have a unique crimson color in adult males; live and preserved specimens have the lower lip with a black mark on each side of the median interruption; no suborbital flap or axillary pelvic lobe (Ref. 123363).