Hypancistrus is a genus of loricariid catfish originating from the Amazon basin in South America.

[2] Also, their scutes are not highly ridged or keeled like that of some genera, and their abdomen is only half-plated with this armor as opposed to full-plated.

[3] Fish of this genus tend to be attractively marked with dark brown to black and white, arranged in spots, stripes, or squiggles.

[4] H. zebra is distinguishable as a white fish with oblique, black stripes that extend from behind the head into the tail, with an obvious E turned sidesways on its nose.

However, H. debilittera has a dark base color and white spots, bands, and vermiculations with an either weakly formed or absent E on the nose.

H. contradens has white or pink, similarly sized spots large that do not connect to form bands.

[2][9] H. contradens is noted to probably feed on aufwuchs; their guts have been shown to contain filamentous algae as well as various organic and inorganic matter.

[7] Many Hypancistrus are popular aquarium fish due to their small size and attractive coloration.

They can be maintained in community aquariums, but quieter cohabitants are preferred so that these fish are not scared into hiding.

[8] Below is a list of the described Hypancistrus with their L-numbers, as well as some undescribed types with common names that appear in the aquarium trade.