Distinguished from all other species of Gobio by the following characters: 36-39 scales in the lateral line, 3 scales below the lateral line, distance between pectoral and ventral fin is greater than ventral anal distance, preorbital distance is short and the head is wide (Ref. 57030). Other diagnostic characters that separate this species from its congeners in Europe include: scale rows between lateral line and dorsal origin usually 5½ ;scale rows around caudal peduncle 12-14; scales between anus and anal origin 4-5; breast scaled forward at most to posterior extremity of pectoral-fin base; interorbital area flat to slightly convex; head length 25-28% SL; head depth 62-72% HL; eye diameter 1.2-1.8 times in interorbital distance; caudal peduncle depth 1.6-2.0 times in its length; midlateral blotches contrasted, posterior ones with sharp margin (Ref. 59043).