Andeancistrus is a genus of bristlenose-type suckermouth catfish in family Loricariidae, part of the plecostomus group defined by rows of bony armor plates and a ventral sucker mouth used to graze algae and biofilm off rock and wood. As the name suggests, the genus is tied to the Andes - the atlas's 2 species, Andeancistrus eschwartzae and Andeancistrus platycephalus, are both known only from Ecuador, placing them among the higher-elevation, cooler-water plecos rather than the lowland Amazonian species most aquarists associate with the family. Adults run 5.5 in.
This is a genus known mainly from scientific description rather than the aquarium trade; detailed care or breeding information is not well documented for either species, and neither has an established presence in the hobby under this genus name. One species is Not Evaluated and the other Data Deficient on the IUCN Red List, which reflects how little survey attention has reached this narrow Andean range rather than any confirmed population trend.