This species is distinguished from its congeners except C. labrosa and C. zanema by the following characters: with maxillary barbels; differs from labrosa the number of modally 40 lateral-line scales (vs. 37), no dark blotches or cross hatching on back and side (vs. small, dark blotches and cross hatching on back and side), no white spot at anterior base of dorsal fin (vs. white spot present), side of body well pigmented below lateral line (vs. minimal pigmentation), with a line drawn from the posterior corner of the upper lip, immediately anterior to the barbel, extending vertically posterior to the anterior edge of the bony orbit (line drawn from the posterior corner of the upper lip, immediately anterior to the barbel, extending vertically anterior to the anterior edge of the bony orbit: differs from zanema by having the dorsal-fin origin positioned modally 1.5 scales posterior to the pelvic-fin origin (vs. positioned modally 2.5 scales posterior to the pelvic-fin origin0 with mean upper lip width at midpoint 2.1% of head length (vs. 3.5% of HL), mean upper lip width at midline 2.9% of HL (vs. 4.1% ofHL), mean maxillary barbel length 3.5% of HL (vs. 8.0% of HL) (Ref. 132547).