This species is distinguished from its congeners except desmotes, jatuncochi, villasboasorum by having a long, pointed, laterally compressed and upward curving symphyseal dentary teeth (vs. the more truncate conical or incisiform teeth typical of other members of this genus; differs from bleheri, desmotes, jatuncochi, villasboasorum, yophorus by its color pattern consisting of 9 dark bars on the head and body, some of which fork dorsally or ventrally, the fifth of which continues onto the dorsal and pelvic fins (vs. various other color patterns); differs from jatuncochi and some specimens of desmotes by having 16 circumpeduncular scales (vs. 14); differs villasboasorum and specimens of desmotes with 16 circumpeduncular scales by having the dark bar immediately anterior of the dorsal fin undivided or barely divided dorsally (vs. well-divided dorsally) (Ref. 119688).