At a glance the quick version
Looks how to spot one
Armoured suckermouth catfish
A small, flattened pleco with a sucker mouth and bony armour. Males have broader heads, thicker pectoral-fin rays carrying tooth-like odontodes, and longer cheek spines than females.12
Personality what they are like
Peaceful toward other species but keeps a home cave and can be territorial with its own kind and other bottom-dwellers. Often shy, preferring plenty of hiding places.12
Daily activity how busy a day looks
Mostly active after dark. It comes from fast, warm, very oxygen-rich water and appreciates strong flow.2
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Keep warm water around 26 to 30 C (FishBase gives 23 to 26 C), pH about 6.0 to 7.5 and soft to moderately hard water. High oxygen, strong flow and very clean water with frequent partial changes suit it best.123
Home where they are happiest
Seriously Fish gives a minimum base of 60 x 30 cm, while Wikipedia suggests about 115 litres (30 US gallons). Provide rocks, caves and slate stacks, with sand or smooth gravel.12
Food basics what goes in the bowl
Leans toward meaty foods: bloodworm, brine shrimp, chopped mussel and prawn, plus quality sinking pellets. Young fish may graze algae wafers or vegetables, but adults take little plant matter.12
Company who they like around
Best kept in a dedicated or carefully chosen setup with calm, warm-water fish such as discus, dwarf cichlids or small characins. Give each male its own cave.1
The story where it all began
It reached the aquarium trade in 1987, was sold as the 'imperial peckoltia', and was described in 1991. Brazil stopped wild exports in 2004, so hobbyists today rely on captive breeding programmes.12
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
It lives in only one small section of a single river, the Volta Grande of the Rio Xingu in Brazil.2
- 2
Before it had a scientific name, it was sold as the 'imperial peckoltia'.1
- 3
The father guards the eggs in a cave, and the fry start swimming about seven days later.2
- 4
It carries three different trade codes: L046, L098 and L173.1
Recognised by the official bits
- Taxonomy
- Described by Isbrücker and Nijssen in 19913
- IUCN Red List
- Critically Endangered (2018)3
- CITES
- Listed in Appendix II, so international trade is monitored3
- Brazil (IBAMA)
- Added to Brazil's endangered species list in 2004 and wild export prohibited2
- Aquarium trade codes
- L046, L098 and L1731
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Zebra Pleco. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- FeedingSmall amounts once or twice a dayevery day
- Temperature checkevery day
- Water changeAbout 25% of the waterevery week
- Water testevery week
- Glass cleanevery week
- Filter rinseRinse in old tank water, never tap waterevery month
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
- Hypancistrus zebra (Zebra Plec) - Seriously Fish seriouslyfish.comused for names, size, care, diet, behaviour, history
- Hypancistrus zebra - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.orgused for origin, size, colour, care, breeding, conservation
- Hypancistrus zebra - FishBase fishbase.seused for size, temperature, IUCN, CITES, author
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.