This species is similar to Sinocyclocheilus macrophthalmus, S. guishanensis, S. angustiporus, S. lateristritus, S. qiubeiensis, S. grahami, S. qujingensis, S. maculatus and S. purpureus distributed in the Nanpanjiang River, and S. qiubeiensis distributed in the Red River. It differs from S. macrophthalmus by having fewer than 9 gill rakers; from S. guishanensis by its interorbital width/SL of 8.1~9.9%, rostral barbels extended to posterior margin of eye and maxillary barbels extended to posterior

preopercular; from S. lateristritus by dorsal-fin origin opposite of pelvic fin origin, with no a black stripe along the lateral line; from S. grahami by having 74~88 lateral-line scales, 20 scale rows above the lateral line, and 16 scale rows below the lateral line; from S. qujingensis by a curved lateral line, 74-88 lateral-line scales, 48 circumpeduncular scales; from S. yimenensis by the ratio of predorsal length, dorsal-fin base length, preanal length, anal fin length, prepectoral length, caudal-peduncle length and lower jaw length to SL, 47.1%-53.7%, 12.8%-15.8%, 66.0%-71.0%, 13.7%-17.1%, 26.0%-29.5%, 19.3%-24.7%, 4.7%-7.0%, respectively; from S. maculatus and S. purpureus by possession of lateral line and scaled body; and from S. angustiporus and S. qiubeiensis by having 35~39 predorsal scales, 6 gill rakers, and interorbital width/SL of 8.1%?9.9% (Ref. 93974).