Vanamnenia maculata is similar to V. caldwelli, V. stenosoma, and V. striata, by the absence of secondary rostral barbels, by which these four species are readily distinguished from all other Chinese congeners (V. gymnetrus, V. hainanensis, V. homalocephala, V. lineata, V. pingchowensis, V. polylepis, and V. xinyiensis). It differs from V. caldwelli and V. striata by its rostral fold with three triangular vs. rounded lobules, a more posteriorly vs. anteriorly placed anus, with the distance between the anus and the anal-fin origin 29.5-45.5 vs. 46.3-63.0% of the distance between the pelvic-fin insertion and the anal-fin origin. It can be further distinguished from V. caldwelli by the absence (vs. presence) of a longitudinal black stripe running from the snout tip to the caudal-peduncle base along the lateral line on the side of the body, and from V. striata by the presence of white-centered dark rings or irregular dark vertical bars vs. 19-23 regular parallel vertical bars on the side of the body. It is diagnosed from V. stenosoma in having larger scaleless area on the ventral surface of the body (scales missing on the anterior two-thirds or more vs. at most one-third of the chest and abdomen between the pectoral- and pelvic-fin insertions), and a shallower vs. deeper caudal peduncle (caudal-peduncle depth 0.92-1.38 vs. 0.63-0.84 in caudal-peduncle length) (Ref. 96004).

Description: Dorsal-fin rays iii-7½ ; anal-fin rays ii-5½ ; pectoral-fin rays i-13 ; pelvic-fin rays i-7 ; vertebrae 4+33-34 (Ref. 96004).