A large species of Devario, distinguished from all other species of the genus by its unique

colour pattern, consisting of 5–8 dark, irregular, vertical bars, restricted to the anterior half of the body and widely separate from a short, broad P-stripe, originating level with or posterior to the origin of the anal fin.

Devario anomalus is easily distinguished from D. aequipinnatus by its shorter P-stripe (P-stripe originating on lateral body surface posterior to dorsal-fin origin, vs. P-stripe originating on lateral body surface anterior to dorsal-fin origin) and by its interrupted P-1 stripe (P-1 stripe represented by a series of faint blotches along its entire length, vs. P-1 stripe continuous or interrupted along anteriormost portion only). Devario anomalus is distinguished from D. devario by the presence (vs. absence) of maxillary barbels, the presence (vs. absence) of an infraorbital process on IO1, and by its lower number of lateral-line scales (33–35 vs. 44–46), branched dorsal-fin rays (12 vs. 16–17), branched anal-fin rays (14 vs. 16–17), and circumpeduncular scale rows (12 vs. 16).