This species is distinguished from its syntopic congener Hypostomus chrysostiktos by having dorsal fin with 7 unbranched rays (vs. 10-11), large dark dots on a clear background (vs. small yellow dots on a dark background); and median plates 25 or 26 (vs. 27-29). It differs from H. brevicauda and H. wuchereri by possessing the following characters: head and trunk covered by conspicuous dark dots similar in size, ranging from half to approximately one eye diameter (vs. dots smaller than the pupil); interradial membranes of anteriormost dorsal-fin rays with one series of dots (vs. membranes with two or three series of dots); and ventral surface of body comparatively weakly covered by plates, with coverage when present restricted to anterior portion of abdomen (vs. ventral surface almost or completely covered by plates, including the central area between pelvic fins). It can be diagnosed from H. unae by the presence of conspicuous dots on head, trunk, and fins similar in size (vs. dots on lateral of trunk inconspicuous and, when visible, much larger than those on the head and fins), pectoral spine not distinctly strong with a few elongated odontodes on its distal third (vs. pectoral spine distinctly strong with many elongated and curved odontodes on its distal half), dorsal fin with tip of last ray, usually reaching preadipose plate or adipose spine when adpressed (adpressed fin 36.6-44.3% vs. 29.6-38.7% and tip of last rays not reaching adipose plate or spine), 47-86 teeth on premaxilla (vs. 29-70), and 50-81 dentary teeth (vs. 34-89). It differs from its congeners from coastal northeastern rivers (H. carvalhoi, H. eptingi, H. jaguribensis, H. nudiventris, H. papariae, and H. pusarum) by a series of characters, including the dark conspicuous dotted color pattern of the body and fins, ventral surface of the belly comparatively weakly covered by plates, and lobes of the caudal fin relatively similarly elongated (Ref. 93813).