This species is distinguished from P. nemorosus and P. aquilus by the absence of fingerlike papillae along the dorsal margin of the hyoid arch and at the interhyal-posterior ceratohyal articulation and by having fewer dorsal-fin rays, 27-31 (vs. 30-33 in P. nemorosus and P. aquilus); has more anal-fin rays, 17-20 (vs. 15-18); differs from P. maderensis by the position of the dorsal-fin origin which is above orbit (vs. posterior to orbit in P. maderensis), single row arrangement of the jaw teeth except near symphyses (vs. multiple rows in P. maderensis) (Ref. 87954).