Hypancistrus zebra
| Common Names: | L-046 Zebra Pleco |
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| Family: | Loricariidae |
| Category: | Catfish_Bottom_Feeders |
| Distribution: | America - South; Rio Xingu, Brazil, South America. |
| Main Ecosystem: | River; River |
| Temperament: | Peaceful; Peaceful, does not do well with agressive fish. |
| Diet: | Carnivore; Carnivore |
| Care: | The Zebra Pleco is an opportunistic feeder in the wild though they scavenge on fallen fruits and decaying vegetable matter (as is expected of the family), they also actively pursue and prey on small invertebrates. Feed foods such as bloodworms, chopped fish, mango, and cucumber (after all, variety is the spice of life). The Rio Xingu is a fast flowing, warm water environment, relatively lacking in plant life--thus an ideal L-46 tank should have a great deal of rockwork and driftwood on a sand or |
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| Potential Size: | Male: 9cm (3.5") Female: 7.5cm (3") |
| Water Region: | Bottom; Bottom |
| Activity: | Nocturnal; Nocturnal |
| Gender: | Not easy, as this is a small spined loricariid. The first ray of the pectoral fin of a mature male will have more bristles than that of the mature female, however, the odontodal length test is highly inaccurate due to their small size. From atop, males can be distinguished by protruding buldges on either side of the head, giving it a mushroom-esque appearence. |
| Breeding: | Preferred spawning medium consists of a rectangled shaped cross section, with the height as tall as the male with its dorsal fin extended and the width as wide as the said male. The length of the cave should be approximately 1.5 times the length of the fish. A high flow filter is not essential, and the current should never directly face the cave entrance. Spawning can be induced by a partial water change with cooler, soft water. |
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| Comments: | A popular pleco, although specimens available in Australia commonly attract ridiculously high prices. These fish are now currently banned from export, so they can no longer be caught in the wild. Attempts are underway to commercially breed them, but no real progress has been made. |
| Main Colours: | Black, White |
| Markings: | Striped Horizontal |
| Mouth: | Sucking Disc |
| Tail: | Forked |
| Search: | Show similar species Find compatible species |
| Image Credit: | © FishProfiles.com |
| Submitted By: | Adam |
| Contributors: | Cup_of_Lifenoodles, Brengun |
| History: | View changes to this profile |
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