Considerable sexual dimorphism occurs in this family, most pronounced during the breeding season. For example, in "Loricariichthys", the male has a large expansion of its lower lip, which it uses to hold a clutch of eggs. "Ancistrus" males have snouts with fleshy tentacles. In loricariids, odontodes develop almost anywhere on the external surface of the body and first appear soon after hatching; odontodes appear in a variety of shapes and sizes and are often sexually dimorphic, being larger in breeding males. In most Ancistrini species, sharp evertible cheek spines (elongated odontodes) are often more developed in males and are used in intraspecific displays and combat.