Labeo filiferus is distinguished from all its congeners in having the following characters: body and fins black; prominent barbels; smaller eyes; longer snout; elongated dorsal fin, filamentous tip of which reach above caudal fin base; longer pelvic fin reaching behind anal fin origin; unusually elongated anal fin reaching the tip of middle caudal fin rays; and deeper caudal peduncle. It can be further differentiated from its relative species in possessing 39 lateral line scales, 15 predorsal scales, 8½ scales between lateral line and dorsal fin, and 5½ scales between lateral line and ventral fin (Ref. 118139).

Description: Dorsal-fin rays ii, 15; anal-fin rays ii, 5; pectoral-fin rays i, 17; pelvic-fin rays i, 8 (Ref. 118139).