Pleco – Hypostomus plecostomus
Species name: Hypostomus plecostomus
Common names: Pleco, suckermouth catfish
Family: Loricariidae (Armored catfishes)
Subfamily: Hypostominae
Order: Siluriformes (catfish)
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 19.7 in
Minimum tank size: 50 gallons
Hardiness: Easy
Aggressiveness: Larger specimens can be territorial
Distribution: South America: Guianan coastal drainages.
Diet: Omnivore but its diet should be primarily vegetarian. Lettuce, zucchini and food pellets makes a great snack for your Pleco.
Additional information:
Hypostomus plecostomus, also known as Pleco is native of South America where it can be found in many environments from riffles, river banks, and driftwood snags. They tend to be nocturnal and prefer hiding places such as plants, rocks and bogwood in their environment.
Hypostomus plecostomus is one of a number of species commonly referred to as “Plecostomus” or “Common Pleco” by aquarists (there are over 120 other Hypostomus species that are sold as Hypostomus plecostomus). With that many species in the genus, identification is very difficult. The one on the picture above is an Hypostomus but may not be Hypostomus plecostomus (please let me know if you can provide an accurate id).
This great looking fish is very popular and hardy. I think they and makes a nice addition to larger tanks. Younger specimen can keep a tank spotless and are often used to keep the glass clean. This fish is well-known to clean the aquarium, but I personally don’t agree with that. Actually, I do agree that younger specimens are great cleaners but as they mature they lose their algae eating tendencies. Plecos will generally leave plants alone but a large specimen might move them while swimming around. However, this fish grow very slowly.
This true plecostomus is usually sandy to dark brown in colour with a clear reticulated pattern across the body. The head is large, broad, and flat. The mouth looks like a suction cup and is located on the underside of the head. Its mouth which allows it to adhere to a surface, as well as to hold and rasp at food. The dorsal fin stands tall when erect.
Large adult males possess thickened pectoral fins that turn reddish pink while adult females appear thicker when viewed from above.
The ideal aquarium should be well-stocked with plants, driftwood and a few caves to hide. This hardy fish will adapt to most aquarium conditions but avoid keeping it in extreme pH levels or temperatures. Ideally, the water temperature should range from 74F to 79F, pH should be at 6.5 to 7.4, and dH between 6 and 10.
For detailed information about breeding Pleco, please read: Breeding Pleco (Hypostomus plecostomus
Do you have experience with Hypostomus plecostomus?
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Article written by www.aquariumslife.com
References: FishBase, Planet Catfish
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