This species is distinguished from all members of the G. pantherinus group by a unique set of morphometric, meristic, and osteological traits: its distinct color pattern in which the dark oblique pigment bands, diverse in shape and design, are divided into band-pairs along the length of the body (the band-pairs are often recurved, dorsally concave, more variable, and often reticulated in the abdominal region), and the pale inter-bands meet at the dorsal mid-line along most of the length of the body. This species shares with other members of the species group the following: presence of one (vs. two) pore in the dorsolateral portion of the preopercle (except in G. pantanal and G. anguillaris); needle-shaped (vs. conical or arrowhead-shaped) teeth on the dentary and premaxilla; a slender body, depth 5.6-10.6% HL (vs. deep 8.7-13.5%, except G. chaviro, G. curupira, G. varzea, G. chimarrao, G. maculosus, G. henni, and G. inaequilabiatus that also have a slender body). Gymnotus tiquie is most similar in overall appearance to G. cataniapo (upper Orinoco) where these two share three unique features: dark band-pairs with wavy irregular margins along the length of the body; long body cavity with 45 or more pre-caudal vertebrae; darkly pigmented membrane in the caudal region of the anal fin (Ref. 83328).