This species can be distinguished from other congeners by the following combination of characters: posterior margins of pectoral fins vertical between bases of 5th and 7th anal fin rays in females, greater number of gill rakers on 1st branchial arch, a lower head width in both sexes, a small number of neuromasts in the preopercular series, urogenital papilla attached 60-100% of its length to anal fin males, more rows of scales in transversal series, location of dorsal fin origin relative to the neural spines in both sexes, and reduction in number of dorsal and anal fin rays in both sexes.