Diagnostic Description
provided by Fishbase
Can be easily diagnosed from most loricariids, except Megalancistrus, a few species of Chaetostoma, and some species of Pterygoplichthys and Delturus, by having high number of dorsal-fin branched rays (10-11). Can also be differentiated by having slightly evertible cheek plates (vs. fully evertible cheek plates of Chaetostoma, Megalancistrus, and most other Ancistrini and Pterygoplichthyini taxa; or absence of evertible cheek plates in Delturinae, Neoplecostominae, Hypoptopomatinae, Loricariinae, Corymbophanini and Rhinelepini). It further differs from Delturus by possessing four branched anal-fin rays (vs. five or six) and from several loricariids by having naked abdomen (vs. plated in e.g. Pterygoplichthys), snout almost completely plated leaving just a small naked area on its tip (vs. snout completely naked in e.g. Chaetostoma) (Ref. 75060).
Biology
provided by Fishbase
Found in dark water stretches of rivers with rocky bottom, at altitudes from 50-662 meters above sea level (Ref. 75060).