Diagnosed from its congeners in Balkan Peninsula by having the following characters: last simple dorsal ray spinous, serrated posteriorly; usually 64-71 + 3-4 scales on lateral line; 15-20 scale rows between lateral and dorsal origin; 10-13 scale rows between lateral and pelvic origin; anterior scales of flank partly embedded in skin; head, body and fins with conspicuous black dots, smaller than pupil; caudal with a few small dots and without distinct black margin; lower lip with a median lobe in individuals larger than about 10 cm SL, a swollen pad in smaller ones; eye diameter 2.4-3.2 rimes in snout length; caudal peduncle depth 1.6-1.9 times in its length (Ref. 59043).