Diagnosis: Within the Congo basin Labeobarbus nzadimalawu can be distinguished from L. altipinnis, L. ansorgii, L. batesii, L. brauni, L. cardozoi, L. caudovittatus, L. dartevellei, L. fasolt, L. habereri, L. humphri, L. iphthimostoma, L. iturii, L. jubbi, L. longidorsalis, L. longifilis, L. lufupensis, L. macroceps, L. macrolepidotus, L. macrolepis, L. mawambi, L. mawambiensis, L. mirabilis, L. nanningsi, L. oxyrhynchus, L. paucisquamatus, L. stappersii, L. trachypterus, L. upembensis and L. wittei by its high number of lateral line scales, 35-41 vs. les than 34; from L. leleupanus by its low number of lateral line scales, 35-41 vs. 45-47; from L. tropidolepis and L. platyrhinus by its low number of scales between the lateral line and the dorsal and ventral midline, 4.5-6.5 and 5.5-6.5 vs. 7.5-8.5 and 7.5-9.5 in L. tropidolepis and 6.5-7.5 and 6.5-8.5 in L. platyrhinus, and from the latter by its low number of circumpeduncular scales as well, 12-16 vs. 16-18; from L. robertsi by the absence of papillae on the anterior edge of the lower jaw vs. with numerous well identifiable papillae; from L. pellegrini by the presence of two pair of well-developed barbels vs. a single pair of minute posterior barbels in L. pellegrini; from L. progenys by its non-prognathous lower jaw vs. prognathous; from L. altianalis and L. gestetneri by the last unbranched dorsal-fin ray not being transformed into a well-developed spine, but instead being clearly segmented for about half of its length, 42.8-57.7% of dorsal-fin height, vs. transformed into a spine, clearly segmented only at its most distal end, less than 30.0% of dorsal-fin height; and from L. somereni, by its high total number of gill rakers on the first gill arch, 18-22 vs. 11, and a, positively allometric, narrow mouth width, 16.1-26.5% of head length vs. 31.3% (Ref. 127934). Further, L. nzadimalawu can be distinguished from both the other members of the Inkisi complex, L. ndazinkisi and the intermediate/hybrid specimens by the presence of a free mental lobe, vs. no mental lobe but instead a cornified Varicorhinus real cutting edge on the outer edge of the lower jaw in L. nzadinkisi and no or only a rudimentary or attached mental lobe in hybrid specimens; in addition, L. nzadimalawu can be distinguished from L. nzadinkisi by its narrow mouth width, 16.1-26.5% of head length vs. 26.8-50.5%, long head length, 23.0-26.4% of standard length vs. 20.1-22.1%; short dorsal-fin base length, 12.1-16.0% of standard length vs. 14.4-17.9%; and long prepectoral distance, 22.6-26.0% of standard length vs. 20.0-22.1%; finally, L. nzadimalawu can be distinguished from Acapoeta tanganicae by its low number of lateral line scales, 35-41 vs. 57-67 (Ref. 127934). Within the adjacent Lower Guinea ichthyofaunal province L. nzadimalawu can be distinguished from L. axelrodi, L. batesii, L. brevispinis, L. cardozoi, L. caudovittatus, L. compiniei, L. habereri, L. fimbriatus, L. jaegeri, L. malacanthus, L. mariae, L. mbami, L. micronema, L. mungoensis, L. roylii, L. sandersi, L. semireticulatus, L. steindachneri, L. tornieri, L. versluysii and L. werneri by its higher number of lateral line scales, 35-41 vs. less than 34; from L. aspius, L. lucius and L. progenys by its non-prognathous lower jaw vs. lower jaw clearly prognathous; and from L. rocadasi by its last unbranched dorsal-fin ray not being transformed into a well-developed spine, but instead being clearly segmented over approximately half its length, 42.8-57.7% of dorsal-fin height vs. last unbranched dorsal-fin ray transformed into a spine, clearly segmented only at its most distal end; finally, L. ndazimalawu can be distinguished from Sanagia velifera by its high number of lateral line scales, 35-41 vs. 22-24 (Ref. 127934). Within the adjacent Quanza ichthyofaunal province, L. nzadimalawu can be distinguished from L. ansorgii, L. gulielmi, L. jubbi, L. nanningsi, L. rhinopterus, L. rosae and L. roylii by its high number of lateral line scales, 35-41 vs. less than 34; from L. clarkeae, L. ensifer and L. varicostoma by the absence of papillae on the anterior edge of the lower jaw vs. with well identifiable papillae; from L. lucius and L. progenys by its non-prognathous lower jaw vs. lower jaw clearly prognathous; and from L. boulengeri, L. ensis, L. girardi, L. steindachneri, L. stenostoma and L. rocadasi by its last unbranched dorsal-fin ray not being transformed into a well-developed spine, but instead being clearly segmented over approximately half its length, 42.8-57.7% of dorsal-fin height vs. last unbranched dorsal-fin ray transformed into a spine, clearly segmented only at its most distal end (Ref. 127934).

Description: Labeobarbus nzadimalawu has a rather shallow body depth, a low dorsal-fin height, and a shallow and elongated caudal peduncle; it is a relatively small-sized Labeobarbus species with a maximum observed size of about 213 mm standard length (Ref. 127934). Labeobarbus nzadimalawu has a typical Labeobarbus-mouth phenotype characterized by the presence of a free mental lobe of variable size; anterior and posterior pair of barbels always present and well-developed; never papillae on jaws, neither on upper nor on lower jaw; some specimens have a nose appendage; lower jaw always clearly shorter than upper jaw (Ref. 127934). Tubercles are present on all except the smallest specimens of less than 62.9 mm standard length, and, as such, are most likely present in males and females; they are apparently present all over the seasons; usually, tubercles are present all over the snout, i.e. on the dorsum of snout and lateral sides of snout between angle of fleshy lips and eye, and all over the dorsum of head up to nape, i.e. between the posterior edge of the head and the anterior edge of the predorsal area; a few larger specimens have a small number of tubercles below eyes, level with the infraorbital bones up to the preopercular/opercular skin fold; specimens with a well-developed nose were largely devoid of tubercles on the dorsum of the snout, i.e. from behind the nose up to the level of the anterior edge of the nostrils; finally, remainder of body without tubercles (Ref. 127934). Lateral line scales with sinuous and parallel, although sometimes somewhat converging, striae; number of striae on the posterior edge of these scales between about 34 and 43; total number of lateral line scales 35-41, number of predorsal scales 10-13, number of scales above lateral line 4.5-6.5, number of scales in-between lateral line and pelvic fin 3-4, number of scales in-between lateral line and ventral midline 5.5-6.5, number of circumpeduncular scales 12-16, number of dorsal-fin base scales 6-10, number of anal-fin base scales 4-6 (Ref. 127934). The pharyngeal teeth number is 2.3.5-5.3.2 with the first tooth of the inner row being absent on the right pharyngeal bone; on the left pharyngeal bone there are two additional smaller teeth present median of the inner row, those are not firmly attached to the bone but rather loosely embedded in the surrounding soft tissue, one of them already well-developed, the other one is more like a dome-like cusp (Ref. 127934). Number of unbranched dorsal-fin rays 4, number of branched dorsal-fin rays 9-11, total number of dorsal-fin rays 13-15, number of unbranched anal-fin rays 3, number of branched anal-fin rays 6, total number of anal-fin rays 9, number of pectoral-fin rays 14-16, number of pelvic-fin rays 8, number of caudal-fin rays 17 (Ref. 127934).

Colouration: Live specimens silvery to white-grey on head, lateral side and dorsal midline; most proximal part of the scales, the scale pockets, dark grey to blackish and this especially for the scales above the lateral line; the remaining, more distal part of the surface of the scales, silvery, white-grey; fins darker, greish-blue, with their distal margins whitish or even translucent; ventral side and lower lateral side of head and body, below the lateral line, often a yellowish hue; base of pectoral and pelvic fins sometimes also yellowish (Ref. 127934). In alcohol, proximal surface of scales generally blackish and this especially for the scales above the lateral line; absent in some of the larger specimens , while persistent in others; fins generally light brown-whitish, although some parts might be blackish; the fin rays themselves yellowish-white; with increasing size, fins more and more blackish, although the rays remain light brown yellowish-white (Ref. 127934).