This species is distinguished from its congeners by the following set of characters: scaled isthmus; secondary bars absent; dark-brown, vertically elongated middorsal blotches that lack pigmentation in their central region, appearing diamond-like (larger specimens) and diamond-like blotches, vertically elongated and fully pigmented (smaller specimens); black chromatophores in caudal fin; roundish black marks on the pelvic absent, dorsal and anal fins; tricuspid dentary teeth present; peduncular blotch absent; white gap between posterior edge of the opercle and the humeral blotch absent; longitudinal stripe in the mid-lateral region of body ending in peduncle caudal; pre-orbital stripe present; area between pelvic fin and origin of anal fin straight in lateral view (Ref. 133152).