Hypostomus fonchii sp. n. (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) from Peru, a key species suggesting the synonymy of Cochliodon with Hypostomus

Hypostomus fonchii sp. n. is described. Diagnostic characters are the unicuspid premaxillary and dentary teeth, present in subadults as well as in adults, and the elongated and broad tooth crown. Because these tooth characters are intermediate between Hypostomus and Cochliodon, and because dentition traits are the only characters diagnosing Cochliodon, the discovery of H. fonchii provides evidences for questioning the generic status of Cochliodon. We conclude that Cochliodon is a subjective junior synonym of Hypostomus. This work is the first part of our joint investigations on Hypostomus based on both morphological and molecular characters.