This species is distinguished from all its congeners in the Atlantic with a horizontal or inferior mouth by having a large, oblique mouth and large eye (3.8-4.5 in HL); differs from S. collettei and S. macallisteri by their smaller eye, 5.0-7.1 and 4.4-5.4 in HL, respectively; differs from other moderately large-eyed species as follows: from S. griseus by having fewer gill rakers 31-38 (vs. 52-59); from S. cervigoni and S. rastrifer by their jet-black lining under gill cover, pale in S. musicki; from S. stellifer by the several small, finely serrated spines instead of 3 to 4 distinct strong spines at the lower corner of preopercle (Ref. 125562).