Distinguished from members of Hypostomus cochliodon group, except H.

hemicochliodon, by having bifid non spoon-shaped teeth and with the lateral cups not fused to the mesial one (vs. spoon-shaped teeth with lateral cups usually fused to the mesial one). Differs from other congeners by the combination of the following characters: dark spots over body and fins; absence of keels on pterotic-supracleitrhum, pre-dorsal plates and on lateral series of plates; deeper body and a pair of parallel moderate keels on predorsal plates; . abdomen completely plated; presence of small-sized and close-settled dark spots (equal to smaller than eye pupil) on dorsal region of head, trunk, and fins; and presence of three pre-dorsal plates bordering supraoccipital (Ref. 91066).