This species is distinguished from its congeners in Iran by the following set of characters: anal fin rays 10-12; lateral line scales 28-32; caudal peduncle scales 10-13; gill rakers 8-10; clearly defined flank bars in males 12-19 (usually 11-13); a more prominent pigmentation along the flank added

by relatively big blotches in the middle and posterior flank segments in females; a short but high antirostrum of the otolith that has a wide excisura, and a ventral rim with some small, drop-like processes and 19 molecular apomorphies (17 transitions, 2 transversions) in the cytochrome b gene (Ref. 91277).