All Fishes ⇒ Loricariidae ⇒ Hypostominae ⇒ The genus Hopliancistrus

Hop to next section Summary of hopliancistrus
Etymology (Greek)Hoplon=Weapon + (Greek)agkistron=hook.
Identification A key to the genus Hopliancistrus can be found here.
Male Hopliancistrus develop very stout recurved odontodes at the corners of the snout. The presence of three stout, strongly recurved odontodes in the cheek mass putatively separate Hopliancistrus from all other Ancistrini; however, the actual number of hypertrophied cheek odontodes is 1-16, with 1-5 of those being stout and recurved. The only other ancistrin that develops hypertrophied odontodes just in the corners of the snout is Lasiancistrus, but Lasiancistrus have the odontodes very thin, like long whiskers; also, Lasiancistrus has three rows of plates on the caudal peduncle vs. five in Hopliancistrus. (Adapted from Armbruster).
Size Smallest 104mm, largest 150mm, average 128mm, most commonly 130mm. All SL.
Species There are 5 "species" in the database
New spp. / time
1750 1770 1790 1810 1830 1850 1870 1890 1910 1930 1950 1970 1990 2010 
Distribution

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