Diagnosis: Afronemacheilus kaffa is distinguished from its congener A. abyssinicus by having usually 7 branched dorsal-fin rays (vs. usually 8 or 9); the anterior and posterior nares well separated (vs. closely spaced); the intestine with a single small loop (vs. straight); the sphenotic and epiotic usually in contact (vs. no contact); three pairs of pharyngobranchials and four basibranchials (vs. two and three, respectively); bar-like spots on flanks usually of similar size (Ref. 94278).

Description: Snout comparably more bluntly pointed than in Afronemacheilus abyssinicus; nares widely spaced, i.e. distance between posterior and anterior nares equal to or slightly more than diameter of posterior naris (Ref. 94278). Anterior maxillary barbel reaching base of posterior maxillary barbel or slightly before or behind it; posterior maxillary barbel reaching to or slightly behind vertical through anterior border of orbit; mandibular barbel reaching to or slightly behind posterior border of orbit (Ref. 94278). Lips nearly smooth or only slightly crenulated; upper lip continuous or weakly incised in middle; lower lop interrupted and bearing moderately pronounced mental lobes and one or two more or less deep grooves on each side; dentiform process on upper jaw strong, matched by a corresponding incision on lower jaw (Ref. 94278). Supraorbital canal with 7 pores, usually continuous, rarely interrupted and composed of nasal and supraorbital portions on one side and very rarely on both sides of head; supraorbital and infraorbital canals always separated; infraorbital canal with 11-15 pores, first pore positioned substantially higher than second one; preoperculo-mandibular canal with 7-10 pores, uppermost pore at horizontal line through mouth corner; supratemporal canal usually continuous and very rarely interrupted (Ref. 94278). Dorsal fin with 3-5 unbranched and 7-8 branched rays; dorsal-fin origin slightly closer to caudal-fin base than to tip of snout; dorsal-fin distal margin always distinctly convex, 2nd and 3rd branched rays or rarely 3rd and 4th branched rays forming fin-tip; anal fin with 3-5 unbranched and 6-7 branched rays, distal margin convex; pectoral fin of moderate length, with one unbranched and 10-11 branched rays; pelvic fin with one unbranched and 6-7 branched rays (Ref. 94278). Caudal-peduncle length/depth ratio 1.0-1.8 (Ref. 94278). Scales on flanks below dorsal fin slightly deeper than long, with large focal zone; sclerites interrupted; in general, scalation similar to that in A. abyssinicus (Ref. 94278). Vertebrae 4+35 to 4+37 (Ref. 94278).

Colouration: Background light yellow (Ref. 94278). A row of small narrow spots on dorsum of most specimens; flank in most specimens with a row of large wide bars vertically expanded for almost all body depth; interspaces between these bars usually smaller than their longitudinal dimensions; in some specimens bars splitting into irregular round small spots on caudal peduncle and/or on anterior parts of flank (Ref. 94278). Solitary melanophores scattered between transverse bars, but speckled pattern not so dense as typical of A. abyssinicus, just some elements of this pattern sometimes appearing on ventral part of caudal peduncle (Ref. 94278). Caudal-fin base with dark crescent-shaped mark, usually subdivided into two unequal blotches; dorsal and caudal fins with pigment on membranes and rays, resulting in dark marks organized to form more or less regular rows, much more pronounced on caudal fin; no such pattern on other fins, but dark rays in all fins contrasted with transparent fin membrane (Ref. 94278).