This species is distinguished from its congeners by having a lozenge-shaped spot on the caudal peduncle (vs. rounded to square spot on the other species); differs from T. anostomus, T. denticulatus, T. juruena, T. kuluene by the number of principal teeth in dentary 4 (vs. 5-6) and with larger and more robust teeth (vs. thinner and sharper teeth); differs from T. anostomus, T. araguaiensis by the number of gill-rakers on lower limb of the first gill arch 12-14 (vs. 16-20); differs from T. rarus by not having dark longitudinal stripes on the trunk (vs. presence) and by having 3.5 (vs. 4.5-5.5) scale rows between lateral line and pelvic-fin origin; differs from T. anostomus by having terminal mouth (vs. subsuperior mouth); differs from Tetragonopterus argenteus by the predorsal scales 7-8 (vs. 11-17); differs from T. franciscoensis by the number of olfactory lamellae 19-22 (vs. 11-17); differs from T. denticulatus by having humeral marks separated by only one vertical scale row (vs. 3 vertical scale rows); differs from T. ommatus by the teeth on the maxilla 2-4 (vs. 7-8) and by having the dark mark centered on the caudal peduncle (vs. dark mark limited to the posterior portion of caudal peduncle) (Ref. 124043).

Description: Dorsal-fin rays ii,9; anal-fin rays iv,29-34; pectoral-fin rays i,12-15; pelvic-fin rays i,7 (Ref. 86682).