Distinguished from other species of Pimelodus by the following combination of characters: body deep, 21.2- 31.0% of SL; comparatively long adipose fin, occupying more than one third of the distance between posterior of the dorsal- fin base and vertical through the end of anal-fin base, 21.8- 26.2% of SL; upper jaw anteriorly projecting, exposing about half of the premaxillary tooth plate; the maxillary barbel slightly surpassing the caudal-fin base; supraoccipital process base broad, 21.6-29.1% of HL; bones of cranial roof ornamented with small granulations; narrow internarial anterior width 10.1-12.8% of HL; uniform gray color pattern, with few dark dots on anterolateral region of body in individuals greater than 10 cm SL (sometimes weak or absent) and three or four rows of small dark dots on sides of body in smaller specimens; and a dark longitudinal bar on ventral lobe of the caudal fin, sometimes

very faint. Can be differentiated from two species (Pimelodus fur and Pimelodus maculatus) occurring in the Rio São Francisco drainage. Differs from Pimelodus fur by having shorter adipose-fin (21.8- 26.2% vs. 26.0-30.0% SL), deeper head (61.5-79.0% vs. 42.3-50.2% HL); wider interorbital distance (21.9-30.4% vs. 12.1-14.9% HL); wider anterior internarial distance (10.1-12.8% vs. 6.9-8.4% HL); wider supraoccipital width (21.6-29.1% vs. 11.7-15.5% HL); longer snout (40.5-47.8% vs. 28.9-33.1% HL); and dorsal supraoccipital process surface conspicuously ornamented with small granulations (vs. supraoccipital with smooth surface). Can be separated from Pimelodus maculatus by possessing greater horizontal eye diameter (26.5-32.2% vs. 19.5-25.1% HL) and by the peculiar color pattern of this species in all ontogenetic stages, consisting of three rows of dark spots (vs. uniform gray color pattern, with a few darks dots on anterolateral region of the body, sometimes very weak or absent in individuals greater than 10 cm SL). Can be distinguished from other species of

Pimelodus described from the adjacent Paraná-Paraguay-Uruguay River drainages: Pimelodus mysteriosus has a very long maxillary barbel, reaching the tips of caudal-fin lobes (vs. maxillary barbel short slightly surpassing the caudal-fin base in Pimelodus pohli); Pimelodus ortmanni has dark spots on dorsal and caudal fins (vs. absent in Pimelodus pohli) ; Pimelodus platicirris and Pimelodus heraldoi have, respectively, three rows of spots and small dots irregularly placed forming eight to nine rows on the lateral of body (vs. dark spots when present restricted to the anterodorsal region of the body in specimens larger than 10 cm SL, in Pimelodus pohli); Pimelodus platicirris has a relatively longer snout and Pimelodus heraldoi has striated lips (vs. lips smooth in Pimelodus pohli) and smaller orbital diameter (19.4-26.0% HL vs. 26.5-32.2% HL in Pimelodus pohli); Pimelodus paranaensis and Pimelodus absconditus 1995 also have small spots on the body sides, but Pimelodus pohli differs from the former in having the premaxillary tooth plate with rounded posterolateral corners (vs. pointed in Pimelodus paranaensis) and from the latter by the poorly developed lips (vs. well developed in Pimelodus absconditus) (Ref. 75972).

Description: Dorsal fin I,6; Anal fin iii-iv,7-10; Pectoral fin i+8-9; Pelvic fin i+5 (Ref. 75972).