Can be distinguished from its congeners by possessing the following unique combination of characters: body dark brown, dorsum with 7 thick cream bars, side with complete bars, head dorsum brown with thick cream reticulate pattern; absence of secondary rostrum; absence of sublacrymal groove; presence of shallow postoral pouch; presence of subopercular groove; gill slit slanted, gill opening above 4th pectoral branched fin ray; pectoral fin origin level after eye; an elongate rounded snout when viewed dorsally; abdomen without scales; lateral line with 68-78 scales; pectoral fin not overlapping anterior of pelvic fin; pelvic fin not overlapping anal fin origin, adpressed dorsal fin not overlapping level of anal fin origin (Ref. 57871).