between the species are the degree of abdominal plating (itself a characteristic that is likely to be very homoplastic) and coloration. "L. schomburgkii" has a body and fins with small white spots less than half the diameter of the plates (although spots may be faded); its plates are entirely dark or with small spots. "L. saetiger" has a body and paired fins with large white spots almost the same size as the plates, with the dorsal fin without spots; its plates are outlined in black. In the rest of the species, the dorsal fin is with black spots, the body is with dark markings and light markings, if present, are usually present as blotches or thick lines (except in the Bayano River population in Panama of "L. caucanus"); the body is never completely dark. In "L. caucanus" and "L. tentaculatus", the abdomen lacks plates; between these two species, "L. caucanus" has whiskerlike odontodes on the corners of the snout in nuptial males and an emarginate caudal fin, while "L. tentaculatus" has tentacles along the anterior margin of the snout in nuptial males and a forked caudal fin. In the remaining two species, the abdomen has plates in at least a small patch medial to the insertion of the pectoral-fin spines; in "L. heteracanthus", the abdomen has plates underneath entire pectoral girdle and on the abdomen, while in "L. guacharote", the abdomen has only a couple of plates medial to insertion of pectoral-fin spines.