Differs from other species of Tometes by its neurocranium with a slight concavity at the level of the frontal bone (vs. concavity absent, dorsal profile of neurocranium straight). It can be further diagnosed among congeners by having five dentary teeth, 81-99 total scales in lateral-line, and 37-42 scales around caudal peduncle. It differs from T. trilobatus by having teeth with central cusp taller and acute (vs. central cusp shorter and with rounded edge); also from T. lebaili by a relatively shorter distance from snout to pectoral-fin origin, 19.1-24.2% SL (vs. 24.5-30.4% SL), shorter head length, 21.4-25.9% SL (vs. 26.6- 29.8% SL), and by possessing a terminal to scarcely subterminal mouth (vs. upturned mouth); from T. makue by having 12-26 prepelvic spines (vs. 0-9), 29-44 total spines (vs. 10-23), and by always possessing a pair of symphyseal dentary teeth, behind the main series (vs. symphyseal dentary teeth sometimes absent) (Ref. 93807).