This species is distinguished from its congeners by the following: have a greater number of dorsal-fin rays (35-39 or more vs. 36 or fewer); differs from C. macropus by the presence of several long bristles on distal half of raker, and one or two long bristles extending from the tip of each raker (vs. several short bristles along distal half of raker, and occasionally a small bristle at the tip) and the morphology of the dorsal pharyngeal papillae (fleshy tabs and small papillae vs. low folds); from C. fasciatus by the greater number of smaller teeth, higher vertebral count, and by the absence of a fingerlike papilla inside the opercle (occasionally absent in C. fasciatus as well); from C. digitus by the absence of a series of fingerlike papillae inside the opercle, the short conical pharyngeal teeth (vs. elongate pharyngeal teeth), and fewer gill rakers (18-21 vs. 22-26) (Ref. 94277).