This species is a member of the Psilorhynchus balitora species group but it can be diagnosed from other members of the group by possessing longer caudal peduncle 17.8-20.5% SL (vs. 8.9-15.2 in P. balitora, P. brachyrhynchus, P. breviminor, P. nepalensis, P. pavimentatus, P. gokkyi, P. piperatus, P. hamiltoni and P. rahmani). It differs from P. amplicephalus by its smaller eye (24.5-29.2% HL vs. 32.4-36.0) and fewer lateral-line scales (30-31 vs. 32); and from P. breviminor, P. nepalensis, P. rahmani and P. pavimentatus in having a greater head depth (59.4-70.4% HL vs. 51.0-55.8 in P. breviminor, 50.0-56.8 in P. nepalensis, 53.3-59.2 in P. rahmani and 54.5-59.0 in P. pavimentatus). It is distinguished from all congeners by its caudal-fin pattern consisting of two black bars, one incomplete bar near the base of the upper lobe, and a complete bar across the centre of the fin, traversing from the upper to the lower margin of the fin (Ref. 93984).