A species of Santelmoa as defined by Matallanas (2010a) with the following combination of characters: mouth inferior; vertical folds on posterior end of the upper lip and on the lower lip lobe; oral valve nearly reaching the anterior edge of vomer; two posterior nasal pores; lateral line double with ventral and medio-lateral branches; palatine teeth in single row; dorsal fin rays 108–111; anal fin rays 93–94; pectoral fin rays 18–19; vertebrae asymmetrical, 26–27 + 90–93 ¼ 116–119; gill slit extending ventrally to just lower end of pectoral fin base; two pyloric caeca barely produced; pseudobranch filaments 3–5, elongated. Scales, ventral fins and vomerine teeth present (Ref. 87519).