Distinguishable from other Japanese striated spined loaches by the following characteristics: body size small, the mature size about 35-45 mm SL in males, 45-55 mm SL in females; lamina circularis at the base of the pectoral fin of adult male a roundish plate, somewhat narrowing toward the outer part; upper segments of the first branched soft ray of pectoral fin narrow and weak; PMN commonly 12; snout short; eye diameter relatively large; body depth and caudal peduncle relatively deep; line L1 consisting of a series of 15-25 blotches; blotches saddle or oval-shaped; line L2 formed by longitudinal jagged line or angular blotches, reaching to pre- or middorsal region, often fused with L1; line L3 formed by incomplete longitudinal narrow line, reaching beyond dorsal fin; line L5 formed by narrow incomplete longitudinal line or organized in chained tiny 15-20 blotches; caudal and dorsal fin with 3-4 irregular vertical bars and exterior bar weak margined; upper spot at the caudal base black, smaller than eye diameter; lower spot at caudal base existing but faint; each spots not connected; egg yolk diameter approximately 0.8 mm; karyotype diploid (2n = 49 in male, 50 in female) (Ref. 92393).