Diagnosis: A large bodied Oreochromis, characterised by a deep body, short snout and 3-4 blotches on the flank coupled with around 6 faint wide vertical bars (Ref. 118638). It is a tasselled species, resembling Oreochromis upembae from which it differs in the following features: mid-lateral blotches present as in O. upembae, caudal fin either without spots or with a few irregularly arranged or in quincunx; caudal rays variously scaly but the inter-radial membranes usually free of scales; vertebrae 29-30; scales in lateral line series 30-32; dorsal spines XVI-XVII, soft rays 12-13; and outer teeth mainly bicuspid, but often including a few tricuspids (Ref. 2). With grey/green fins and flanks; male dorsal and caudal fins have red/orange margins; ripening males reported to be dark green-grey, possibly almost black (Ref. 118638).

Description: A relatively shallow-bodied fish, with a pointed snout and a straight frontal profile; and a correspondingly deep caudal peduncle (Ref. 2, 52307). Gill-rakers 3-4,1,20-24 on first arch (Ref. 2). The length of the lower pharyngeal bone is greater than its width and 33-38% length of head; the blade is as long as the median length of the toothed part in a fish of 125.5 mm standard length, to 1.4 times as long in a 172 mm fish; the pharyngeal teeth are slender, those of four posterior rows brown-tipped and bicuspid, the anterior are more crowded (Ref. 2). The mouth is small and there is no difference correlated with age or sex; the teeth are in 4-6 rows in each jaw, with slender shafts; several specimens have a few tricuspids among the bicuspid outer teeth; inner tricuspid (Ref. 2). Scales on cheek in 2 rows; 4-6.5 between origin of dorsal and lateral line (Ref. 2). The genital papilla is bifid in females and males (Ref. 2).

Colouration: Living colouration remains unknown (Ref. 52307). Preserved specimens exhibit dark maculae in the center of the body; the caudal fin exhibits some pale maculae (Ref. 52307).