This species is the most distinctive species and is distinguished from its congeners in the Galaxias olidus complex by the following characters: diminutive size; long anterior nostrils, often visible anterio-laterally from ventral view; distinct body colour pattern and thin fins; low mean total pectoral fin segmented ray count of 13; low mean vertebral count of 51; the dorsal and ventral trunk profiles straight or nearly so; lateral snout profile usually rounded; body depth shallow through pectoral fin base (11.2-14.3 % SL); dorsal midline is usually flattened anteriorly from dorsal fin base; mouth small, usually reaching back to the anterior margin of eye with posterior extent of mouth about 0.4 eye diameter below ventral margin of eye; head and interorbital narrow (49.8-64.0 and 31.4-40.5 % HL, respectively), the head length greater than pelvic-anal distance; eye large (17.5-27.7 % HL and 45.7-73.3 % HD); gape is narrow (26.4-34.4 % HL and 48.7-64.2 % HW); snout, upper and lower jaws are short (17.6-29.8, 24.4-29.9 and 21.2-29.2 % HL, respectively); lower jaw about 95 (82.9-100.0) % length of upper; caudal peduncle is moderately long and longer than length of caudal fin; caudal peduncle flanges are moderately developed but short, usually not reaching to the adpressed anal fin; dorsal fin base short (7.1-11.6 % SL); distance between pelvic and anal fins is short (17.8-24.6 % SL); pelvic fin very short (6.3-11.2 % SL), only about 74.4 % of length of the pectoral fin; no raised lamellae from ventral surface of rays of paired fins; no accessory lateral line; anal fin origin usually under 0.42 distance posteriorly along the dorsal fin base; pyloric caecae 2 thin to moderately thick and long (5.1 % SL); gill rakers are short and stout; no distinct black bars along lateral line (Ref. 98815).