This species is distinguished from H. peruvianus by having a bright blue, dorsal and ventral not sharply bounded longitudinal band (vs. sharply bounded), beginning behind the head (vs. beginning on the tip of snout); iris silvery to golden, dorsal gray to black (vs. dorsal red); differs from H. vanzolinii with fins reddish to strongly red in life, without any distal black marks in the anal fin (vs. distal black marks in the anal fin developed); differs from H. metae with having the external row of praemaxilla two (1.84, one to two)) tricuspid, broad, not compressed teeth (vs. 3.42, three to four, tricuspid or broad conical teeth compressed) (Ref. 123638).