Parakysis has tubercles evenly distributed over the head and body and 4 pairs of barbels -- nasal, maxillary, and inner and outer mandibular barbels -- each with a thick base and tapering towards the tip. There are 0-1 short accessory barbels at the base of the outer mandibular barbel and 0-3 at the base of the inner mandibular barbel. The maxillary barbel originates at the rictus of the jaws and is continuous with the upper and lower lips. The lateral line is absent. The long, low-lying adipose ridge runs at an almost continuous height between the dorsal and caudal fins. Small eyes are dorsal, and tubular nostrils extend past the snout. The teeth are unspecialized and in narrow bands. The palatine lacks teeth. Gill rakers are absent. The small gill openings extend from just below to just above the lateral prominence of the cleithrum. The spines on the dorsal and pectoral fins are short, stout, and without serrations. The dorsal fin has 4 soft rays, pectoral and pelvic fins have 5-7 rays, and the anal fin has 8-13 rays. The genital papilla is moderately elongate in the mature male. The caudal fin has 3-5 upper rays, 3-4 lower rays, and 7/6 or 7/5 principal rays. The body is a mottled brown with pale spots and typically has a light brown saddle running from the posterior dorsal base to the caudal peduncle. Barbels are pale with brown rings. Fins have faint transverse bars of brown dots fairly evenly distributed throughout.