Tachysurus spilotus can be distinguished from congeners except T. argentivittatus, T. longispinalis and T. virgatus in having a color pattern consisting of black longitudinal stripes on a pale body (vs. with a uniform-colored body, with pale patches or transverse bands on a dark body, or with dark

rectangular patches on a pale body). It differs from T. argentivittatus in having a less bulbous snout, a notched (vs. uninterrupted) dark dorsal band and gently convex (vs. straight) posterior edges of the caudal-fin lobes; from T. longispinalis in having a shorter dorsal-fin spine (ca. 27% SL vs. 15.1–19.0) and maxillary barbels shorter (vs. longer) than head; and from T. virgatus in having a gently convex (vs. straight) posterior edges of the caudal-fin lobes, the presence of dark spots at the basal third of the caudal-fin lobes (vs. a dark line running through the middle of each caudal-fin lobe), and a more broadly convex snout when viewed dorsally or ventrally (Ref. 82737).