This species is distinguished from all its congeners from Rio Iguaçu by the following set of characters: third infraorbital deep and not in contact with preopercle, leaving an narrow naked area between its border and preopercle; premaxillary external series with 4-6, usually 5 or 6 pentacuspid or heptacuspid teeth; first branchial arch 9-12, usually 10 rakers in upper branch and 13-16, usually 14 or 15 rakers in lower branch; a narrow and elongated vertical humeral bar (Ref. 85756).