Can be easily distinguished from epigean and most hypogean congeners by three distinctive, non-exclusive characters: highly reduced skin pigmentation (except for Trichomycterus gorgona and cave-restricted congeners, Trichomycterus chaberti, Trichomycterus itacarambiensis, Trichomycterus spelaeus, Trichomycterus sandovali, Trichomycterus santanderensis, Trichomycterus uisae and Trichomycterus dali); reduced eyes, visible externally as small black or reddish-brown spots (except for Trichomycterus gorgona and the hypogean Trichomycterus chaberti, Trichomycterus itacarambiensis, Trichomycterus santanderensis, Trichomycterus uisae and Trichomycterus sketi); and barbels long, especially nasal (86.9-127.1% of HL) and maxillary (98.1-129.3% of HL) (except for Trichomycterus longibarbatus and the hypogean Trichomycterus spelaeus, Trichomycterus santanderensis, Trichomycterus uisae, Trichomycterus sketi and Trichomycterus dali). These characters, in combination, separate this species from all hypogean congeners except for Trichomycterus santanderensis and Trichomycterus uisae. Further differs from almost all congeners, including Trichomycterus santanderensis and Trichomycterus uisae (except for Trichomycterus hualco, Trichomycterus sketi and Trichomycterus dali) by having I, 9 pectoral-fin rays (Ref. 91769).