Crenicichla zebrina is distinguished from all congeners by its pigmentation pattern, which

includes the unique combination of a large, more or less oval-shaped humeral spot, and thin, dark vertical bars on the caudal half of the body which are separated by thinner yellowish vertical bars. It further differs from all other species in the C. acutirostris group except C. tigrina by a higher lateral scale count (E1=114 versus 111 or less). It can be distinguished from C. tigrina, by the presence of a large, non-ocellated humeral spot (versus no spot), lower dorsal spine counts (XXII versus XXIII–XXIV), and the presence of alternating light and dark colored bars restricted to approximately the caudal half of the body (vs. bars on all the body in C. tigrina).