A new species of Chromogobius is described based on material collected from the Canary Islands (eastern Atlantic). Chromogobius britoi n. sp. differs from the other species in the genus in possessing all ctenoid scales on the trunk, fewer scales in the lateral series, a reduced number of sensory papillae in the vertical rows under the eye (rows 1–5), and a generally deeper depth preference. The cheek myology of gobioid fishes includes characters of possible phylogenetic significance and is generally overlooked in systematic studies; it is included here along with a discussion of possible relationships.