Leporacanthicus is a genus of loricariid catfish - true plecos - from river systems of Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela in northern South America. The 4 species in the atlas run 4–9.5 in and share the enlarged, curved, canine-like teeth at the front of the jaw that give the genus its hobby nickname, vampire plecos - a feature unusual among loricariids, most of which have small rasping teeth suited only to algae and biofilm.
Those oversized teeth reflect diet: unlike strictly herbivorous plecos, Leporacanthicus species take a more opportunistic, partly carnivorous diet in the wild, and aquarists feed them meaty foods alongside standard pleco fare. The genus includes some of the most sought-after ornamental plecos in the hobby - the Golden Vampire Pleco (L. heterodon), Sultan Pleco (L. joselimai), Three Beacon Pleco (L. triactis), and Galaxy Pleco (L. galaxias) all carry striking spotted or starred patterns and command high prices as specialist imports. The conservation picture leans toward concern for a genus this prized: of the 4 species, 2 are Least Concern, 1 is Near Threatened, and 1 is Vulnerable, and one species carries CARES status in the atlas, reflecting the pressure that habitat change and collection place on range-restricted South American plecos.