Distinguishable from other Japanese striated spined loaches by the following characteristics: body size small, the mature size about 50 mm SL in males, 60 mm SL in females; lamina circularis at the base of the pectoral fin of adult male 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 elongated; eye diameter relatively small; line L1 consisting of a series of 14-17 blotches; line L2 formed by tiny angular blotches, reaching to pre- or middorsal region, often fused with L1; line L3 formed by incomplete longitudinal narrow line, reaching

beyond dorsal fin , fused with L1 and L4 in posterior part; line L5 formed by narrow longitudinal line; caudal and dorsal fins margined by a narrow black band, two or three speckles on other regions; upper spot at the caudal base black, smaller than eye diameter; lower spot at caudal base existing but faint; spots not connected; karyotype diploid (2n = 50) (Ref. 92393).