Diagnosis: 13 or fewer gill-rakers along lower limb of first arch; 38 lateral line scales; head length 35.2% SL; predorsal length 44.3% SL; rapid rise in dorsal spine length from 1st to 4th; pectoral fins reach to level of spinous anal fin (Ref. 52346).

Description: relatively elongate, slender bodied and large headed; deepest depth along back a little anterior to dorsal fin origin; predorsal profile rises steeply over snout at an angle of about 60° to the horizontal, angle decreases markedly over orbit then rises again, less steeply, to origin of dorsal fin (Ref. 52346, 81260). Lower jaw slightly inclined from horizontal when mouth is closed; lips thickened and fleshy; lower pharyngeal jaw robust and heavily ossified (Ref. 52346). Rakers along lower limb of first arch stout, crenate (Ref. 53784, Ref. 52346) and well spaced (Ref. 52346). First hypobranchial raker simple and elongate; epibranchial rakers relatively elongate; 38 lateral line scales (Ref. 52346). Upper lateral line terminates well in advance of end of soft dorsal (Ref. 52346, 81260), below 7th ray from free end of fin (Ref. 52346). Terminal canal bearing scales do not descend scale rows; ventral and dorsal branch of lateral line on caudal fin well developed and extend almost to fin periphery; median caudal branch less distinct and extends 1/3 of the way along the fin; dorsal fin spines increase in length extremely rapidly to fourth, and are then more or less equal in length (Ref. 52346). First and second dorsal fin spines considerably longer than in other Tylochromis species; pectoral fin relatively long, reaching to/beyond level of spinous anal (Ref. 52346, 81260). Anal fin rounded; first branched pelvic ray filamentous and produced to level of first soft anal ray (Ref. 52346). Caudal fin emarginate (Ref. 52307, 52346, 53784) and only very finely scaled along dorsal and ventral regions, medially fin scaling restricted to proximal half of fin (Ref. 52346).

Coloration: no data on live coloration; preserved specimen: pale yellow/brown on dorsum and flanks, silvery along ventrum (Ref. 52346, 81260). Most body scales with a silvery center (Ref. 52307). Upper lip and ethmoidal region smoky grey (Ref. 52307, 52346), as is length of dorsum just below dorsal fin (Ref. 52346). Throat and lower lip white; often with a red stripe in corner of mouth; breast reddish (Ref. 52307). Well marked nape band extends down onto operculum where it merges with a relatively extensive opercular blotch (Ref. 52346, 81260). Red-brown stripe directly in front of nape band (Ref. 52307). 6 strong and relatively broad vertical stripes extend down flanks to well below midline (Ref. 52346, 81260). 1-2 short stripes, which extend only a few scale rows down the dorsum, are interspersed between the full body stripes (Ref. 52346). Dorsal fin smoky grey and spotted with numerous rows of medium sized pale maculae (Ref. 52307, 52346, 81260). Anal fin slightly smoky but lacks any trace of maculae (Ref. 52346). Pelvic fins reddish (Ref. 52307). Filamentous first branched pelvic ray creamy white (Ref. 52346).