This species can be distinguished from Lasiancistrus heteracanthus and L. guacharote by having no plates on the abdomen; differs from L. schomburgkii by having large white spots on the head (vs. small white spots), with plates of the body outlined in black (vs. entire body uniformly dark), and absence of spots in the dorsal and caudal fins (vs. usually with small white spots); differs from L. tentaculatus by having whiskers on the snout of nuptial males (vs. tentacules longer than their associated odontodes); and from L. caucanus and L. tentaculatus by lacking dark spots in the dorsal and caudal fins (vs. with dark spots) (Ref. 56920).