Abstract
The family Loricariidae is characterized by a dorsoventrally flattened body covered with bony plates, a single pair of maxillary barbels, and a significant modification of the mouth structure into a suction-like shape. This family includes 1,070 species widely distributed across the Neotropical region, divided into six subfamilies: Lithogeninae, Delturinae, Rhinelepinae, Loricariinae, Hyp…