Schizothorax heterophysallidos can be distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following characters: snout blunt; upper lip thin; lower lip developed, with three labial lobes; postlabial groove continuous, with a minute lobe present medially on lower lip; thorax scaleless in mature individuals; lower part of last unbranched dorsal-fin ray strong, its posterior edge with 15−23 serrae; pelvic-fin origin beneath or anterior to vertical from dorsal-fin origin; eye diameter 57.2–160.0 (mean 92.4) % of maxillary–barbel length; length of posterior chamber of air bladder three to six times that of anterior one. Schizothorax heterophysallidos is further distinguished from the sympatric S. lissolabiatus by the absence (vs. presence) of a horny sheath on lower jaw; having the lower lip with three (vs. two) lobes and the posterior groove continuous (vs. discontinuous) (Ref. 80483).