Distinguished from all species of Hypostominae by having a coracoid with a serrated posterior margin of the posterior process, an opercle with a process extending ventrolaterally from the ventral margin, and branchiostegals one and two fused. Differs further by having the following characters: cheek plates evertible to less than 45° from the sagittal plane; fewer than ten (typically zero or six) enlarged cheek-plate odontodes; enlarged cheek-plate odontodes straight and no longer than 15 times length of odontodes on lateral body plates; large eyes (mean 24.0% of head length, range 21.7-27.6% HL); and by having uniformly gold-brown to bronze base color with golden sheen when alive (Ref. 88957).