The general background coloration of body and tail dorsally ranges from light to dark brown, with a fine mottled pattern. Facial patterning consists of a diffuse dark band extending from the eye to the snout, another from the eye over the cheek, and a third band posterior to that. Small clusters of iridocytes are scattered laterally over the head and trunk. Trunk pigmentation extends onto the upper portion of the tail. The upper muscular part and upper tail fin are mottled and finely dusted with melanocytes. Tail fins and posterior tail may exhibit orange hues. An alternating pattern of light and dark blotches along the margins of the upper and lower tail fins is characteristic of this species. Ventral abdominal skin is partially translucent, with stippling of small melanocytes and numerous clusters of iridocytes in the gular and abdominal regions; consequently, gut and gills are indistinct. A thin dark median line is present on the abdomen. The oral disc also shows melanocyte stippling, and the tips of oral disc papillae are pigmented.