Metaloricaria

Metaloricaria is a genus of freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Loricariidae, the suckermouth armored catfishes, and the subfamily Loricariinae, the mailed catfishes. The catfishes in this genus are found in South America.

== Taxonomy == Metaloricaria was first proposed as a monospecific genus in 1975 by the Dutch ichthyologist Isaäc J. H. Isbrücker when a described M. paucidens, which he also designated as its type species. The phylogenetic position of Metaloricaria remains uncertain. Some authors classify this genus in the tribe Harttiini in the subfamily Loricariinae, the length of the maxillary barbels (longer than in all other Harttiini), low number of teeth and their reduced size, reduction of the number of caudal-fin rays, and sexual dimorphism reminiscent of that seen in the Rineloricaria group, tend to support a closer relationship of Metaloricaria with the tribe Loricariini. The Loricariinae is a subfamily of the Loricariidae, which is the type family of the suborder Loricarioidei within the order Siluriformes, the catfishes.