This species is distinguished from its congeners, except species those included in the M. lepidura group by the following: a dark blotch on the upper caudal-fin lobe, the lower lobe is hyaline or light grey (vs. caudal lobes hyaline or with a black blotch on both lobes). It is distinguished from the species of M. lepidura group by the absence of a humeral spot

(vs. presence) and in having a roughly triangular and dark spot at the caudal-fin base, extending posteriorly along the middle caudal-fin rays, and distinctly separate from the spot on the upper caudal-fin lobe (vs. middle caudal-fin rays hyaline or dark and no triangular spot separated from upper caudal-fin spot) (Ref. 85060).