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suckermouth catfish

Scientific name Hypostomus plecostomus
Descriptor Linnaeus
Year of description 1758
IUCN category (World) NE
Family Loricariidae
Genus Hypostomus
Hypostomus plecostomus Hypostomus plecostomus
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Presentation of the JBL 2025 Peru Expedition

Introduction

Hypostomus plecostomus, commonly known as suckermouth catfish, is a fresh water fish from the Amérique du Sud.

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Who is it?

Morphology

  • Type
    catfish
  • Average size
    28 cm
  • Maximum size
    50 cm
  • Longevity
    15 year
  • Shape
    Catfish
  • Pattern
    ponctuations
  • Type
    catfish
  • Average size
    28 cm
  • Maximum size
    50 cm
  • Longevity
    15 year
  • Shape
    Catfish
  • Pattern
    ponctuations

How to recognize the suckermouth catfish ?

This fish has the particularity to possess several pairs of barbels, which allow him to search the bottom and to detect the food thus moved.

The suckermouth catfish measures around 28 cm. The females are more imposing and some specimens can reach 50 cm. This fish is bicolore with a predominantly marron and beige body. The also has marron ponctuations.

Sexual dimorphism

The female is bigger than the male.

Behaviour & Life cycle

  • diet
    scavenger
  • Sociability
    gregarious
  • territorial
    Yes
  • Way of living
    diurnal

The suckermouth catfish is a fish gregarious naturally found on the bottom. This species is scavenger .

This species is territorial and does not appreciate the presence of intruders nearby, especially animals with similar behavior. It can also be virulent toward conspecifics. However, the suckermouth catfish has little concern for non-territorial animals.

Reproduction

  • Reproduction
    ovipare qui pond sur substrat caché

The suckermouth catfish is a fish ovipare qui pond sur substrat caché.

Harmless species

This species does not represent any particular threats to humans when encountered in its natural environment.

Where to find it?

Brazil United States of America Indonesia Sri Lanka

Conservation status of populations (IUCN)

World : NE

Where to see this species?

Aquarium-Muséum de Liège Nausicaa Oniria

What is its habitat?

Natural environment characteristics

  • Temperature
    20 - 28 °C
  • pH (acidity)
    6.2 - 8.2
  • gh (hardness)
    6 - 12
  • Flow
    Medium, Slow and Stagnant

Biotope presentation

Magasins partenaires proches

Main recommendations for fishkeeping

Deontology

In order to preserve wildlife, if you acquire this animal, it must not be released into the wild. See also, the Fishipedia charter.

Fishipedia supports the practice of responsible and environmentally friendly aquarium keeping. We encourage maintenance if it is motivated by a desire to understand the biological functioning of living things and if it is done with respect for animal life.

We believe that aquaristics is an opening to the discovery of aquatic environments, especially freshwater, and that this knowledge is necessary to better protect and respect these environments. Logically, we refute the compulsive purchase of animals that would not find a sufficient and / or adapted place in the host aquarium.

Our recommendations

  • Min volume
    600 liters
  • Population min
    1
  • Temperature
    20 - 28 °C
  • pH (acidity)
    6.8 - 7.2

Characteristics

  • Difficulty breeding
    easy
  • Robustness
    robust
  • Behaviour
    slightly aggressive
  • Availability
    usual

General reminders

It is strongly advised to read the complete dedicated file and to get information on the feedbacks of maintenance of the envisaged animal, this to avoid any potential conflict whose end result is generally the death of the individual (or the other inhabitants). It is important not to overload your aquarium to limit pollution. This will make maintenance easier.

In nature, animals are subject to weather conditions and live in waters with variable characteristics. The recommendations offered by our team for aquarium maintenance are a guidance and cannot be assimilated to scientific datas.

General reminder on maintenance datas

Le démarrage d'un aquarium est une partie primordiale pour l'équilibre et le bien-être des poissons. Lorsque l'on met en eau un aquarium, l'eau passe naturellement par un cycle biologique : le cycle de l'azote. Celui-ci dure environ trois semaines. Tous les 2 jours, nous vous conseillons de tester votre eau jusqu'à ce que le taux de nitrite soit à zéro pendant plusieurs jours d'affilée.

Pour accélérer ce cycle, vous pouvez utiliser un activateur de bactéries comme JBL Denitrol. Cette solution riche en bactéries vivantes et enzymes permet une mise en place rapide du cycle de l'azote. Les poissons peuvent alors être introduits plus rapidement.

Il est important de tester l'eau de son aquarium régulièrement pour maintenir un environnement sain pour les poissons et les autres habitants. Les tests d'eau permettent de mesurer les niveaux de différents paramètres tels que le pH, la dureté totale, ainsi que les taux de nitrates, de nitrites et d'ammoniaque.

Pour réaliser ces tests, vous pouvez utiliser des produits d'analyse spécialisés tels que JBL ProScan qui permet de réaliser un diagnostic de l'eau directement via un smartphone. Il existe également des coffrets de tests plus classiques de bandelettes, comme JBL PROAQUATEST.

En cas d’usage de l’eau du robinet, vous pouvez utiliser un conditionneur d’eau de type Biotopol de JBL pour éliminer les substances nocives comme le chlore, le cuivre, le plomb et le zinc. Les conditionneurs d'eau garantissent une meilleure santé aux poissons et une meilleure croissance des plantes.

Chlorine and chloramine are dangerous for the health of animals. Used to disinfect water, these agents are present in significant quantities in tap water. We recommend using an anti-chlorine agent every time you change the water. In addition to chlorine, treatments and medicines sold for aquarium use sometimes contain dangerous heavy metals in high doses.

Specific needs for the suckermouth catfish

The suckermouth catfish is a species which lives naturally at a temperature between 20 °C and 28 °C. For proper maintenance, the temperature should never exceed the 31°C for long periods. Nitrate levels should remain below 50mg/L. To keep the water clean and unpolluted, plan on changing 20% to 30% of the water volume each month.

Breeding this species is accessible to any hobbyist. It is recommended to follow some basic rules and to be rigorous to achieve a good maintenance.

This species is particularly common in the aquarium trade. Animals from long-term breeding are usually acclimatized at a temperature of about 26 °C in neutral water.

Barbel fish

Cohabitation & Environment

Being a gregarious fish, it is advisable to install at least 1 individuals in an aquarium of 600 liters minimum. Group maintenance is a prerequisite to ensure their well-being. Lonely individuals tend to quickly become stressed and become especially susceptible to disease.

Tips for feeding

The suckermouth catfish is scavenger.

You should not overfeed your residents to avoid polluting the water. For most species, it is better to feed a few small portions each day rather than one large meal.

Food recommendations from our partner JBL - Products PRONOVO

Reproduction protocol

  • Maintenance difficulty
    moderate
  • egg-laying protection
    Yes

Hybridization risks

In general, it is advised not to mix several species of the same genus or different varieties of the same species, to avoid the risks of hybridization.

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To go further

Species of the same family

To read on the web

fishbase EOL

Sources & Contributions

Participation & Validation

The Fishipedia team and specialist contributors are committed to providing high-quality content. However, although the information comes from scientific sources or testimonials from specialists, the cards may contain inaccuracies.

Benoit Chartrer

Benoit Chartrer

Translation

Translation done with the valuable contribution of our translators, who make this information available to a wider audience. We sincerely thank them for their commitment.

Bibliographic references

A new species of Hypostomus Lacépède, 1803 (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) from the upper rio Paraná basin, Southern Brazil - Fernando C. Jerep - Oscar A. Shibatta - Cláudio H. Zawadzki - Neotropical Ichthyology - 2007.

Reproductive plasticity of Hypostomus affinis (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) as a mechanism to adapt to a reservoir with poor habitat complexity - Silvana DuarteI - Francisco Gerson AraújoI - Nilo BazzoliII - Scielo - 2011.

Feeding ecology of Hypostomus punctatus Valenciennes, 1840 (Osteichthyes, Loricariidae) in a costal stream from Southeast Brazil - Mazzoni - Rezende - Manna LR. - Scielo - 2010.

Identity of Hypostomus plecostomus (Linnaeus, 1758), with an overview of Hypostomus species from the Guianas - Claude Weber - Raphaël Covain - Sonia Fisch-Muller - sfi-cybium - 2012.

Review of the genus Hypostomus Lacépède, 1803 from rio Ribeira de Iguape basin, with description of a new species (Pisces, Siluriformes, Loricariidae) - OSVALDO T. OYAKAWA - ALBERTO AKAMA - ANGELA M. ZANATA - ZOOTAXA - 2005.

The genus Hypostomus Lacepède, 1803, and its Surinam representatives (Siluriformes, loricariidae) - M Boeseman - naturalis - 1968.

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Template and content © Fishipedia - Unauthorized reproduction without prior request - ISSN 2270-7247 - Last modification 02/02/2024

Where to see this species?

Aquarium-Muséum de Liège Nausicaa Oniria

Scientific partners

UICN France fishbase Worms

Tags

#Loricariidae

#Hypostomus

#bras mort

#fleuve

#forêt inondée

#stream

#zones d'algues et de détritus végétaux

#catfish

#Amérique du Sud

#Suriname

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