This species can be diagnosed from its congeners by having a unique color pattern of yellowish-brown ground color covered by well-defined dark spots of relatively equal size, evenly spaced and moderately set along the dorsal region of the body and fins, except on the ventrolateral region of the caudal peduncle, and proximal region of anal and caudal fins, which are devoid of spots. This further differs from all congeners except those belonging to the

Hypostomus cochliodon group, by having 10-13 spoon-shaped teeth, dentaries angled less than 80° and a notch between hyomandibular and the metapterygoid. It is further diagnosed by having the following combination of characters: massive round teeth, with mesial cusp large and distinctly spoon shaped and outer cusp, if present, fused to the mesial one and scarcely noticeable; absence of medial buccal papilla; strong keels in dorsal, mid-dorsal and median series of plates; lacking strong keel on mid-ventral series of plates; caudal fin usually with dark spots distally; exposed portion of opercle inconspicuous; uniformly conspicuous small dark spots; and both caudal-fin lobes evenly colored (Ref. 95498).