This species is distinguished from all its congeners (except N. indicus) by the following characters: fewer anal-fin rays 92-94 (vs. 105-136), and except N. abotti and N. chemnitzi in the greater number of dorsal-fin spines 12 (vs. 5-11); differs from N. abotti, N. chemnitzii, N. indicus in having fewer pectoral-fin rays 10-11 (vs. 12-16); differs from N. abotti in the number of spines and rays on the ventral fin III-IV, 5-7 (vs. VI, 6) and number of gill rakers on the first-gill arch 3 + 7 (vs. 4 + 11); differs from N. chemnitzi in the number of spines and rays on the anal fin XX, 110 (vs. XIII-XVI, 92–94) and number of gill rakers on the first-gill arch (vs. 3 + 11-12); and from N. indicus, the only congeneric species currently known from the Indian Ocean region in the morphology of dorsal fin with spines increasing in length (vs. first 10 spines increasing in length, followed by a shorter 11th spine) (Ref. 130909).