This family has extremely variable color patterns and body shapes. Loricariids are characterized by bony plates covering their bodies, similar to the bony plates in callichthyids. (In Latin, "lorica" means corselet). These fish exhibit a ventral suckermouth, with (small projections) on the lips. When present, the adipose fin usually has a spine at the forward edge. These fish have, when they are present, a unique pair of maxillary barbels. These fish have relatively long intestines due to their usually herbivorous or detrivorous diets. The body is characteristically flattened in this family. Taste buds cover almost the entire surface of the body and fin spines. Body lengths can range from in "Nannoplecostomus eleonorae" to over in "Panaque", "Acanthicus", and "Pterygoplichthys".