Possesses the characters of the sandy group except that the snout tip with a globular protuberance of naked skin, not reaching anteriormost pore of infraorbital ramus of sensory canal, and variably with a dorsal-fin spinelet. Can be diagnosed from all other congeners by its color pattern consisting of numerous dark and vermiculated spots on a light brown background. Differs from the species in the sandy group by the globular protuberance at snout tip (except for Rineloricaria misionera); and from Rineloricaria misionera by having fully plated abdomen and usually with four or five series of plates between the lateral abdominal plates (Ref. 75788).