[1][2] Common names Arfak Mountains frog and large river-frog have been coined for it.

Dorsal colouration is plain dark brown, sometimes mottled with white.

[3] The male advertisement call is a squeaky note, uttered singly or in short series.

[3] Papurana arfaki lives in rivers and (to a lesser extent) streams in lowland rainforest, usually in mature forest, at elevations up to 1,500 m (4,900 ft) above sea level.

However, the overall population is believed to be stable, and it occurs in several protected areas.