Cynolebias elegans is similar to other members of the C. gilbertoi group (C. gilbertoi and C. ochraceus) and distinguished from all other species of the subgenus Cynolebias, by having 19-16 vomerine teeth (vs. 1-4, when teeth are present), 7-8 gill-rakers on the ventral part of the first branchial arch (vs. 9-12), highest body depth at vertical just anterior to base of pelvic fin (vs. through base of pecto¬ral fin), and flank with light dots arranged in vertical groups (vs. light dots when present not arranged in vertical groups). It can be diagnosed from C. gil¬bertoi and C. ochraceus by possessing long dorsal and anal fins in males, their extremities excluding filaments posteri¬orly reaching base of caudal fin (vs. reaching caudal pedun¬cle), greater pre-pelvic length in males (52.2-53.9 % SL, vs. 48.5-49.9 % SL in C. gilbertoi and 48.9-50.5 % SL in C. ochraceus), and first proximal radial of the anal fin between neural spines of 9th and 10th vertebrae in males, and between neural spines of 11th and 12th vertebrae in females (vs. between neural spines of 11th and 13th verte¬brae in males, and between neural spines of 12th and 14th vertebrae in females). It can be further differentiated from C. gilbertoi by having the following characters: larger head (31.3-34.2 % SL in males, 32.1-33.4 % in females, vs. 27.9-30.3 % SL in males, 29.0-31.1 % in females) and smaller eye (25.5-29.1 % of head length in males, 27.3-29.9 % in fe¬males, vs. 30.0-31.0 % of head length in males, 31.5-34.2 % in females). It can be also distinguished from C. ochraceus by having 31-32 ver¬tebrae (vs. 33-34), narrower body depth (32.5-34.5 % SL vs. 35.0-37.8 % SL), and flank light pur¬plish brown in males (vs. light yellow ochre) (Ref. 118117).