Can diagnosed from all congeners in Turkey and adjacent waters by the combination of the following non-unique characters: body with a contrasted reticulate pattern, made of densely-set pigments on the exposed scale pockets and a broad band of densely-set melanophores along the posterior margin of each scale; body depth 24.4-27.5 % SL; caudal peduncle depth 12.0-12.9 % SL; a sexually dimorphic head shape (mouth slightly subterminal in males, with a slight chin; terminal in females, with a distinct chin; snout slightly pointed in males, rounded in females; the corner of the mouth not reaching a vertical through the anterior margin of the eye; the upper lip thick, its anterior width approximately 1.6-2.4 times its width at the corner of the mouth; length of the mouth gape shorter than its width; head length 25.4-27.4 % SL, approximately 0.9-1.1 times body depth; anal fin fleshy; caudal fin slightly forked (length of middle rays 72-82 % length of lower lobe), lobes slightly rounded; 42-44 + 1-2 lateral line scales; anal and pelvic fins in life with orange pigments on rays (Ref. 93268).