Diagnosed from all species of the genus Sinocyclocheilus by the following combination of characters: body totally covered with scales excluding head; back strongly humped; eye well- developed; lateral line almost straight, with 49-51 perforated scales; dorsal fin with seven soft rays; relatively large eye-ball (3.3-5.7% of SL) and short maxillary and rictal barbels (1.7-5.7% and 4.5-7.0% of SL, respectively). This species is most similar to Sinocyclocheilus microphthalmus, Sinocyclocheilus altishoulderus, and Sinocyclocheilus jiuxuensis in terms of its strongly-humped back and general body shape, but Sinocyclocheilus microphthalmus and Sinocyclocheilus altishoulderus

have eight soft dorsal rays. Sinocyclocheilus jiuxuensis has a smaller eye-ball (2.3-3.3% of SL) and longer maxillary and rictal barbels (5.1-11.0% and 8.0-11.3% of SL, respectively) than Sinocyclocheilus brevibarbatus (Ref. 75598).