Pterygoplichthys gibbiceps is a species of armored catfish native to Brazil, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela where it is found in the Orinoco and Amazon basins.P. gibbiceps shows all the characteristic features of its genus—a large dorsal fin with more than nine rays, prominent nasal flares and a prominent hump or crest anterior to the dorsal fin as well as a substantial base to the dorsal fin.