[2] Its specific epithet, pirarara, derives from a Tupi word meaning "macaw-fish", which is frequently used in Brazil to refer to the redtail catfish.

[3] P. pirarara is a medium-sized loricariid catfish that reaches at least 23.4 cm (9.2 inches) in standard length,[1] although it has been reported to grow larger.

[4] It is typically a grey or brown color with numerous dark blotches that form continuous longitudinal bands, as well as characteristically bright red or orange fins.

The species is noted to be reclusive, requiring large hiding spots in its aquarium, although it is also territorial and very aggressive towards similar fish.

[3][4] In the scuba diving video game Endless Ocean 2, which was released for the Wii, a fish referred to in-game as the scarlet-trimmed pleco appears as one of several animals inhabiting the game's Cortica River area (a fictitious tributary of the Amazon River, with a confluence at longitude 53° west).