This species is distinguished from its congeners by the following set of characters: bicuspid teeth with elliptic medial cusp and angle between dentaries usually larger than 80°; roundish dark spots on head and flanks; extremely small dark spots on head and anterior portion of trunk-more than 13 dark spots on the first plate in the dorsal series in specimens up to 82 mm SL; moderate or blunt keels on lateral series of plates; short to moderate dorsal fin, far from reaching adipose plate; anterior portion of trunk with similar color pattern to posterior portion in adults; caudal peduncle (8.1-9.8 % SL); two parallel spot rows per inter-radial membranes in dorsal fin; spots diameter that increase in size posteriorly to head; beige brown background coloration of dorsal fin, similar to the main body background in live specimens; and deep head (18.2-20.7 % SL) (Ref. 138215).