Mottled above with dark brown diffuse spots on a lighter brown background. This pattern extends onto the tail, where it shows higher contrast and larger spots. Light spots of iridocytes are present along the dorsal edge of the tail muscle and on the dorsal and lower fins. At the tip, they may form a bright stripe (occasionally also seen in other Meristogenys), sometimes with a bright orange hue in advanced tadpoles. Tail pigmentation is more intense in advanced than in early stages. In advanced stages, melanocytes along the blood vessels accentuate the proximal tail myosepta and produce a reticulate pattern on the tail fins. The oral disc and abdominal sucker are mostly unpigmented, except for their dorsal faces and rims. Gills and heart are not visible. The lateral sections of the abdomen are covered by dense whitesilvery iridocytes. The medial abdominal skin is unpigmented and semitransparent; the gut is hidden by pigmentation of the abdominal lining.