Hopliancistrus is a genus of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Loricariidae, the suckermouth armoured catfishes, and the subfamily Hypostominae, the suckermouth catfishes. These catfishes are endemic to Brazil where they are found in Pará, with one species, H. xavante extending into Mato Grosso.
Taxonomy Hopliancistrus was first formally proposed as a monospecific genus in 1989 by the Dutch ichthyologists Isaäc J. H. Isbrücker and Han Nijssen when they described its only species and designated type species, Hopliancistrus tricornis, giving its type locality as Poça de Pedra on the Tapajós River, São Luis, Pará State. Some authorities regard this genus as being within the tribe Ancistrini of the subfamily Hypostominae, but Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes does not recognise tribes within the subfamily Hypostominae.
Species Hopliancistrus contains the following species:
Etymology The generic name alludes to "hóplon" meaning armour or shield, appended to Ancistrus, which is the type genus of the tribe Ancistrini.
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