From Aqua Guide, the free encyclopedia
Common Pleco
Pterygoplichthys pardalis
- Temperature
- 23–28 °C
- pH
- 6.5 – 8
- Min. tank size
- 570 L
- Lifespan
- 15-20 years
- Diet
- herbivore
- Care level
- moderate
| Scientific classification | |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name: | Pterygoplichthys pardalis |
| Family: | Loricariidae |
| Origin: | South America (Amazon basin) |
| Care Characteristics | |
| Care Level: | moderate |
| Diet: | herbivore |
| Max Size: | 45.00 cm |
| Water Type: | freshwater |
| Temp Group: | tropical |
| Temperament: | peaceful |
| Min Group: | Can be kept alone |
| Varieties: | The name covers several species rather than one, and shop labelling is unreliable. Pterygoplichthys pardalis, the Amazon sailfin catfish, is the fish most often sold as a common pleco. P. multiradiatus is widely traded alongside it, and P. gibbiceps — the leopard or sailfin pleco, with bold spotting and an enormous dorsal fin — is a distinct and rather more attractive species commonly sold under the same generic name. Hypostomus plecostomus, the original "plecostomus", is also still traded. Telling them apart: sailfin plecos of the genus Pterygoplichthys carry nine or more dorsal rays, usually ten, giving the tall fin the group is named for. Hypostomus plecostomus has five to eight. An albino form of P. pardalis is widely sold, sometimes as "albino plecostomus" or "chocolate pleco". Long-finned and marbled selections appear occasionally. Practically, all of them share the same problem: they are large, long-lived, high-waste fish sold as small algae eaters. If a shop cannot tell you which species you are buying, assume it will reach 40 cm and plan accordingly — or buy an Ancistrus instead. |
| Lifespan: | 15-20 years |
Quick Tips
- Bioload:Very high
- Min Tank:570 L
- Substrate:Sand or smooth gravel; large driftwood essential
- Plant Safe:Not reliably plant-safe (large adults dislodge/eat plants)
- Filtration:Very high (extremely messy)
Common Pleco (Pterygoplichthys pardalis) is a species of fish in the family Loricariidae. It is native to South America (Amazon basin). The common pleco is the most widely mis-sold fish in the hobby. It is offered at 6 cm as an algae eater for a beginner's tank, and it reaches 43 cm standard length — longer still counting the tail — and lives fifteen years or more. The fish sold under the name is usually Pterygoplichthys pardalis, an Amazon sailfin catfish from Brazil and Peru, though several species are traded interchangeably. Sailfin plecos are identified by the large dorsal fin carrying nine or more rays, usually ten; Hypostomus plecostomus, the other fish sold as a common pleco, has five to eight. It is a facultative air breather. The stomach is greatly expanded into a long, thin, highly vascularised sac that lets it take oxygen from the air, and fish of this genus are sold alive in markets having survived up to 30 hours out of water. If you want the job done in a normal tank, buy a bristlenose. This fish belongs in a very large aquarium or a pond.
Compatibility
- Temperament
- peaceful
- Keep in
- Can be kept alone
- Swims
- bottom
- Fin nipper
- No
- Delicate fins
- No
Species similar to Common Pleco
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