This species is distinguished by the following characters: first dorsal fin with 2 flexible spines; second dorsal fin with 27-28 rays; anal fin with 17-18 rays; pectoral fins with 19-20 rays; gill rakers: anterior 9-12, posterior 7-9, total 17-21; upper lateral line with 25-27 pores (tubular scales); middle lateral line with 12-16 pores (tubular scales); cephalic lateral line pores: preoperculo-mandibular canal 9; infraorbital canal 7; supraorbital 4, with 2 nasal and 2 interorbital pores; coronal commissure 1 central pore; temporal 6; supratemporal 2, disrupted at middle, with 1 left and 1 right pores; vertebrae: 16 + 22 = 38. A dorsally-spotted and short-barbeled species of Pogonophryne distinguished from others in the 'P. mentella' group by a combination of: a short (about 10-12% SL), fine and somewhat tapering mental barbel, flattened and pointed just the tip, dorsally bi-colored: dark-spotted or uniformly dark-colored stem with very small light tip of barbel ('terminal expansion'), reaching slightly beyond anterior edge of orbit in backward extended mode over the snout with mouth closed; distal part of mental barbel covered by densely distributed, closely adjacent to stem dark finger-like processes; almost undetectable by eye flat and light, short terminal expansion (about 18-29% of barbel length) composed of independent leaf-like processes or/and low longitudinal folds bearing prominent serrated leaf-like processes; interorbital distance wide (about 7% SL); lower jaw slightly protruding with not visible teeth on symphysis when mouth closed; teeth on both jaws sharp and conical, slightly retrorse, somewhat enlarged on tips of jaws in posterior rows: 2-3 irregular rows on symphysis of lower jaw and 3 rows anteriorly on upper jaw; second dorsal fin low (up to 18% SL), without anterior elevated lobe in adult males, with light-greenish ground coloration, variegated by inconspicuous oblique stripes and blotches generally distributed on rays; anal and both sides of pelvic fins generally light, without contrast bicolor pigmentation: creamy-whitish distally (partly with light-pinkish tinge) and somewhat variegated by inconspicuous longitudinal brownish stripes and blotches basally; pectoral fins with about 10-11 dark vertical stripes alternating by turquoise-greenish stripes; narrow distal margin of fins uniformly light-greenish; caudal fin with light-greenish ground coloration and with about 6-7 dark vertical stripes, not extending to narrow uniformly light-greenish distal margin of fin; dorsal surface of head and area anterior to first dorsal fin covered by large irregular dark-brown markings and spots; breast and belly dark-brown and blackish, both lacking in evident dark sharp spots or markings; mandibular oral valve dark-pigmented anteriorly, maxillar oral valve lighter; oral cavity generally light (Ref. 92304).

Description: Body scaleless, robust and tadpole-like from dorsal and ventral view, somewhat dorsoventrally flattened anteriorly, with large and rather wide head and with short mental barbel on the top of the lower jaw; upper surface of head and nape spotted by rounded or/ and irregular dark markings. Elongated body is low in height, horizontally oval in anterior cross section. Dorsal profile of head sloping, gradually rising backward; lateral eyes and the almost terminal mouth (somewhat half-superior) is not protrusible (Ref. 92304).