AquaticRepublic.com - Hypostomus plecostomus (Loricariidae) All Fishes

All Fishes ⇒ Loricariidae ⇒ Hypostominae ⇒ Hypostomus | |

Close-up of head
Close-up of mouth
Marshall creek (Suriname river drainage)

All Fishes Data Sheet
Scientific Name	**Hypostomus plecostomus** (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common Names	Plecostomus Almindelig Sugemalle (Denmark), Saugmaulwels (Germany)
Type Locality	Suriname River.
Synonym(s)	Acipenser plecostomus, Acipenser spec, Hypostomus guacari, Loricaria flava, Plecostomus bicirrosus, Plecostomus brasiliensis, Plecostomus plecostomus, Pterygoplichthys plecostomus
Pronunciation	hi POSS tow muss - PLEK oss toe mus
Etymology	Greek, hypo = under + Greek, stoma = mouth. pleco = sucker, stomus = mouth.
Species Information
Size	500mm or 19.7" SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.
Identification	Due to the number of species in the genus, identification is very difficult without exact provenance of the specimen. Most ''common plecos'' are now exported from Peru and Brazil. Photos of the real H. plecostomus are common in aquarium literature from the 1960s and 70s when ''common plecos'' were exported from Venezuela, Suriname, and the Guyanas.
Sexing	Large adult males possess thickened pectoral fins that turn reddish pink. Gravid adult females appear thicker when viewed from above.
General Remarks	Also found throughout the Orinoco basin, although some authors believe that Orinoco specimens may represent a different species. The photographs above are mostly of H. plecostomus from the Orinoco basin. Weber (2003) restricted distribution to coastal drainages of the Guianas.
Habitat Information
Distribution	South America: Guianan coastal drainages. Have been introduced to several Asian countries for the aquarium trade. Orinoco (click on these areas to find other species found there) Guyana Waters, Coastal Rivers of Guyanas, Suriname Coastal Rivers, Suriname (click on these areas to find other species found there) Login to view the map.
IUCN Red List Category	Least Concern , range map and more is available on the IUCN species page. Last assessed 2021.
pH	6.5 - 8.0
Temperature	20.0-30.0°C or 68-86°F (Show species within this range)
Other Parameters	In nature, this fish is common in slower portions of larger rivers. It inhabits nearly every environment from riffles, the river banks, and driftwood snags.
Husbandry Information
Feeding	A true omnivore that will eat anything. The diet should be primarily vegetarian. User data.
Furniture	Ideally a large tank with driftwood and a few caves. Substrate is unimportant.
Compatibility	Larger specimens can be territorial, but they rarely cause damage to tankmates. Smaller fishes are ignored.
Suggested Tankmates	Keep with medium to large sized community fishes or most American cichlids.
Breeding	Probably never accomplished. They normally spawn in holes in the river bank, but I have also captured this species in mountain rivers and ponds that did not have earthen banks. In these habitats it must spawn in caves formed by rocks and/or driftwood.
Breeding Reports	There is no breeding report.
Further Information
Reference	Systema Naturae, Ed. X v. 1, pp 238.
Registered Keepers	There is no registered keeper.
Wishlists	Love this species? Click the heart to add it to your wish list. There is no wish to keep this species.
Spotters	Spotted this species somewhere? Click the binoculars! There are 5 records of this fish being seen, view them all.
Forum BBCode

	Look up H. plecostomus on PlanetCatfish.com
	Look up H. plecostomus on Fishbase
	Look up H. plecostomus on Encyclopedia of Life
	Look up H. plecostomus on Global Biodiversity Information Facility
	LFS label creator ARN ref:1.4.17.580
Last Update	2020 Nov 23 02:26 (species record created: 2001 May 05 00:00)