The family Loricariidae BONAPARTE, 1831

includes all kind of plecos.

All species of this family are more or less completely covered with plates and with their mouth they are able to suck.

Most of the species are adapted to a strong current by a flattened bodyshape and a well developed suckermouth.

Actually the family Loricariidae is devided into 6 subfamilies:

• Delturiinae
• Hypostominae (including the former subfamily Ancistrinae)
• Hypoptopomatinae
• Lithogeneinae
• Neoplecostominae
• Loricariinae