A large deep-bodied species of Nanochromis with an elevated soft dorsal fin ray count (10-11) and the presence, in adults, of strongly produced membranous fin lappets on the second and third dorsal fin spines (Ref. 57505). It has also an almost scaleless cheek and nape, an upper lateral line contiguous with the dorsal fin base, five laterosensory pores on the dentary, a tubular pore canal in the anguloarticular, and seven laterosensory pores on the preopecle (Ref. 57505). Snout long with a steeply inclined and strongly convex dorsal contour and an almost straight ventral contour (Ref. 57505). Lower pharyngeal jaw is extremely gracile, with narrow horns and a short blunt keel; the dentigerous surface is sparsely covered with fine weakly bicuspid teeth (Ref. 57505). Caudal fin longer than deep, subacuminate, with fin rays increasing in length from the outer rays towards the central rays (Ref. 57505).