This species is distinguished from all other congeners by the following set of characters: continuous lateral-line canal with single row of pores; orbit with 2 cirri; no true ocellus on anterior part of dorsal fin; low dorsal fin, not elevated anteriorly in either sex; absence of narrow membrane along anterior edge of first dorsal-fin spine. Neoclinus nudiceps differs from Neoclinus monogrammus in having the following characters: lateral-line canal with 3-5 pores and reaching to below 3rd to 4th dorsal-fin spine (vs. 9-15 pores, reaching to below 6th to 9th dorsal-fin spine); counts of supraorbital cirri tips, the anterior and posterior cirri with 2-6 and 1-2 tips, respectively (vs. 10-28 and 3-14 tips, respectively); male with no conspicuous spots on head (vs. male color pattern on head with scattered reddish spots); body depth in proportion to standard length 13.0-15.4% (vs. 11.3-13.4%); head depth in proportion to head length 56.6-60.6% (vs. 51.2-58.0%) (Ref. 85569).