Distinguished from all other Hypostomus except the species of the H. cochliodon group based on the presence of large, spoon-shaped teeth; and from all members of the H. cochliodon group except H. cochliodon, H. ericae, H. ericius and H. paucipunctatus by the presence of very widely spaced black spots on a light background. Can be separated from H. cochliodon by absence of a longitudinal ridge on the pterotic-supracleithrum and absence of longitudinal dark stripes; from H. ericius by lacking keels formed from sharp odontodes on the lateral plates; from H. ericae and H. paucipunctatus by lacking a buccal papilla; from H. ericae by having spots in the distal dorsal and caudal fins not combining (vs. spots combining to form wavy lines); and from H. paucipunctatus by having medium to large spots. It is further distinguished by having seven to eight adipose-caudal plates and by generally having no odontodes on the opercle (zero to 10), vs. having a patch of greater than 10 odontodes on the opercle (Ref. 54531).