Hypoptopoma sternoptychum (Schaefer 1996)

This species is distinguished from all congeners except H. spectabile, by the pattern of abdominal plates, consisting of a pair of slender plates posterior to the coracoids followed by a series of 1-3 unpaired medial abdominal plates (vs. 2 or 3 series of abdominal plates); by having the posterior process of the coracoid strongly curved, its distal tip pointing dorsally (vs. posterior process smoothly curved and distal tip pointing posterodorsally); and by the absence of basipterygium fenestrae (vs. with basipterygium fenestrae). This species is distinguished from H. spectabile by the presence of thoracic plates; greater number of total lateral plates 21-22 (21) (vs. 20-22 (20)); greater number of dentary teeth, 21-37 (30) (vs. 20-31 (24)); greater dorsal interorbital distance with mean dorsal interorbital distance 63.5 (vs. 58.5); pelvic fin placed more posteriorly, mean pectoral-pelvic distance 15.5 (vs. 12.7); and longer pectoral fin, length reaching or surpassing the anal-fin origin, the mean pectoral-fin spine length 39.3 (vs. 29.8) (Ref. 84367).

Dorsal spines (total): 1; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7; Analsoft rays: 6; Vertebrae: 26

Hypoptopoma sternoptychum is a species of catfish of the family Loricariidae.

This catfish reaches a maximum length of 3.3 centimetres (1.3 in) SL. It is demersal, being found in fresh water in the tropics.

Hypoptopoma sternoptychum is native to South America, occurring in tributaries from the upper and central Amazon River in Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.