This new species of loricariidae (Cordylancistrus nephelion) was described from seven specimens collected in tributaries of the Tuy River in the Caribbean Sea basin of north-central Venezuela. Cordylancistrus nephelion can be distinguished from other species assigned to its genus by its unique colour pattern, the head and body being marked with irregular white spots. Cordylancistrus nephelion is the 3rd species of the genus described from venezuela; C. torbesensis (Schultz 1994) from the Merida mountain range (cordillera de merida), orinoco river basin; C. perijae - Perez and Provenzano 1996 from perija mountain range; and now C. nephelion from the La Costa mountain range. these three species inhabit isolated foothill rivers and have very restricted geographic distributions.