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his is a synopsis on the 19 (updated Oct. 2022) described and the 4 undescribed species known from this small popular genera of the Callichthyidae family and the differences between them and the other members of the mailed catfishes.

The type specimen of the Aspidoras genera is A. rochai, R. von Ihering 1907 and the latest discription in 2022 was (CW141) Aspidoras aldebaran, Tencatt LFC, Britto MR, Isbrücker IJH, Pavanelli CS., 2022. Below is the list of the 23 known species of Aspidoras and their exact location when discovered. In the last couple of years there has been a few Aspidoras species that have now put into synoynm including some C & CW-numbers.

All Aspidoras belong to Lineage 2 with the exception of A. pauciradiatus which will prove to be a Corydoras and if a revision is carried out will be Gastrodermus (Cope, 1878) and a member of Lineage 5 alongside members of the "elegans group".

Species with is a link to an image and some information. is a factsheet on the species. denotes an article.

Aspidoras albater, Nijssen & Isbrücker 1976. Rio Tocantinzinha near São João da Aliança, 14°46'S, 47°30'W, Rio Tocantins system, Goiás, Brazil. (C035)

Aspidoras aldebaran, Tencatt LFC, Britto MR, Isbrücker IJH, Pavanelli CS., 2022. (CW141)

Aspidoras azaghal, Brazil, tributary of the Igarapé do Pontal, in the remote Amazon region Terra do Meio, intersection of the Xingu and Iri rivers.

Aspidoras belenos, Britto 1998. Creek at Primavera do Leste - Paranatinga road, rio das Mortes basin, Estado do Mato Grosso, Brazil.

Aspidoras brunneus, Nijssen & Isbrücker 1976. Serra do Roncador, km 125 of the road Chavantina-Casximba, Mato Grosso, Brazil.

Aspidoras carvalhoi, Nijssen & Isbrücker 1976. Açude Canabrava, Guaramiranga, Ceará, Brazil.

Aspidoras depinnai, Britto 2000. Creek at Amaraji-Primavera road, rio Ipojuca basin, 8°21'S, 35°26'W, Pernambuco State, Brazil.

Aspidoras fuscoguttatus, Nijssen & Isbrücker 1976. Rio Paraná system, Córrego Corguinho, estrada da Três Lagoas, 20°46'S, 51°43'W, Mato Grosso, Brazil. (C036) (C118) (C119)

Aspidoras gabrieli, Wosiacki, Pereira & Reis, 2014.

Aspidoras kiriri, Oliveirs, Zanata, Tencatt & Britto, 2017. Brazil, Bahia, Varzedo, riacho Cai-Camarão, rio da Dona basin.

Aspidoras lakoi, Miranda-Ribeiro 1949. Córrego na floresta do Grotão, frazenda da Cachoeira, Muncípio de Passos, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Aspidoras maculosus, Nijssen & Isbrücker 1976. Rio Paiaiá, into headwaters of Rio Itapicurú, ca. 11°S, 40°30'W, Bahia, Brazil. 

Aspidoras menezesi, Nijssen & Isbrücker 1976. Rio Granjeiro at Crato, 7°10'S, 39°25'W, trib. on left bank of Rio Salgado, Ceará, Brazil.

Aspidoras mephisto, Tencatt, Bichuette 2017. Brazil, known only from the Anésio-Russão cave system (Anésio III and Russão II caves), part of the upper rio Tocantins basin.

Aspidoras poecilus, Nijssen & Isbrücker 1976. Creek upstream of village Porori, left bank of upper Rio Xingu, Mato Grosso, Brazil. (C037) (C158)

Aspidoras psammatides, Britto, Lima & Santos, 2005. Brazil, Estado da Bahia.

Aspidoras raimundi (Steindachner 1907). Rio Parnahyba near Victoria, Maranhao State, Brazil. (C125) (CW119)

Aspidoras rochai, R. von Ihering 1907. Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.

Aspidoras velites, Britto, Lima & Moreira, 2002. Brazil, Est. Mato Grosso, upper Rio Araguaia basin, Rio Tocantins drainage.

Aspidoras sp. (CW052) possible hybrid.

Aspidoras sp. (CW126) Brazil, Rio Teles Pires.

Aspidoras sp. (CW183) Brazil, Bahia.

Aspidoras sp. (CW184) Brazil, Bahia.

KEY TO THE SPECIES OF ASPIDORAS

Ia. Snout length 2.5 or more in hi; length pectoral spine less than 4.5 in sl: number of dorso- and ventrolateral body scutes 23120; dorsal fin with a spine and 6 soft rays, last ray split to its base.......................
Aspidoras pauciradiatus(Weitzman & Nijssen, 1970)
b. Snout length 2.1 or less in hI; length pectoral spine'more than 4.5 in sI; number of dorso- and ventrolateral body scutes 25/22 or more: dorsal fin with. a spine and 7 soft rays, last ray split to its base............ 2
2a. Dorsolateral body scutes with a longitudinal solid dark brown band................ Aspidoras brunneus n. sp.
b. Dorsolateral body scutes without longitudinal solid dark brown band.......................................... 3
3a. Body with about 4 distinct oblique bars.................................................... Aspidoras albater n. sp.
b. Body with other colour markings or without colour
markings............................................................................................................................ 4
4a. Body with distinct dark midlateral blotches...........................................................................5
b. Body without distinct dark midlateral blotches........................................................................6
5a. Length bony orbit 5.3 or more in hi; body width 3.8 in sl;
6 pre-adipose scutes................................................................... Aspidoras rochai R. von lhering,1907
b. Length bony orbit 5.0 or less in hI; body width 3.9 or more in sI; 3 to 4 pre-adipose scutes
................................................................................................Aspidoras spilotus n. sp.
6a. Body without colour pattern.................................................... Aspidoras carvalhoi n. sp.
b. Body with a colour pattern................................................................................................. 7
7a. Length bony orbit 6.5 or more in hi; 6 or (usually) more pre-adipose scutes
............................................................................................Aspidoras lakoi, P. de Miranda Ribeiro, 1949
b. Combination of length bony orbit and number of pre adipose scutes not as in 7a........................... 8
8a. Body marbled with brown and with some rows of small roundish dark brown spots (lacking in juveniles)
............................................................................................. Aspidoras fuscoguttatus n. sp.
b. Body marbled with brown, without rows of small roundish dark brown spots.................................. 9
9a. Body with irregular oblique brown marbling; length dorsal spine 5.2 to 5.4 in sI....Aspidoras poecilus n. sp.
b. Body with irregular oblique dorsal spine 6.3 to 8.9 in sI.................. Aspidoras sp. aff. poecilus
c. Body with more or less roundish spots; length dorsal
spine more than 5.8 in sl........................................................................................................ 10
l0a. Dorsal fin usually with a conspicuous, triangular dark blotch..........Aspidoras raimundi (Steindachner, 1907)
b. Dorsal fin without a conspicuous, triangular dark blotch..............................................................11
lla. Length pectoral spine more than 8.0 in sI; interorbital width less than 2.0 in hI; length dorsal spine more than
9.5 in sI................................................................................... Aspidoras eurycephalus n. sp.
b. Length pectoral spine less than 8.0 in sl; interorbital width more than 2,0 in hI; length dorsal spine less than
9.5 in sl................................................................................................................................ 12
l2a. Length dorsal spine more than 7.3 in sl; length pectoral spine more than 5.7 in sI; body depth 3.8 to 4.0 in sI; body width 4.2 to 4.4 in sI; 3 to 4 pre-adipose scutes.....Aspidoras maculosus n. sp.
b. Length dorsal spine less than 7.3 in sl; length pectoral spine less than 5.7 in sI; body depth 3.3 to 3.8 in sI; body width 3.8 to 4.2 in sl; 5 to 6 pre-adipose scutes.......... Aspidoras menezesi n. sp.