This species is distinguished from all its Atlantic congeners with inferior mouth by the following set of characters: ctenoid scales on top of head and with 5 mental pores, except S. punctatissimus, S. menezesi, from which it differs by the elongated body and HL greater than body depth (both have a body depth greater or equal to HL); it differs from S. menezesi by having a longer pectoral fin, its tip posterior to the tip of pelvic fin, a long and thick second anal-fin spine, reaching beyond the tip of first anal ray, snout length less than 4.0 times in HL and nostrils rounded and almost the same height (vs. anterior nostril slightly oval and forward directed, posterior nostril bean-shaped forming an angle between them in menezesi and S. punctatissimus, S. menezesi have distinctly darker pectoral, pelvic, and anal fins than S. gomezi (Ref. 125562).