This species is distinguished from its congeners by the following set of characters: short and high peduncle depth (CPL/BLD < 3.6; APL/BLD < 1.4); long knife-shaped lamina circularis (Canestrini scale) at the base of the second pectoral fin ray and with a wide handle in males; lateral ethmoid (suborbital spine) well developed with short and wide mediocaudal, laterocaudal and mediorostral processes; wide skull with short and wide frontoparietal fontanel; pigmentation pattern is variable and is well-developed pigmentation in the four Gambetta’s zones; developed ventral pigmentation in adult individuals, frequently interrupted in the middle of the body; 10-16 blotches (Median = 13) on Gambetta’s fourth row in females, reaching the ventral pigmentation in the caudal region and third Gambetta’s zone narrow with black spots; Gambetta’s second and fourth zone spots fused to form two black stripes in males; caudal fin base spots with the superior one reduced to lesser than eye diameter; presence in the male of a lamina circularis at the base of the second pectoral ray (Ref. 137754).