Very distinct coloration, body with a finely reticulate pattern not seen in other species; dorsal fin with fine longitudinal dark streaks similar to those seen in Macrognathus pancalus, M. zebrinus and M. meklongensis. The round spots on the caudal fin are not comparable to the ocelli of other species such as M. siamensis: the central portion is pale, rather than lying in a field of contrasting color, as do the pale circles surrounding the ocelli in other species. Similar but less well defined round spots are present on the anal fin (Ref. 7424).