The zebra pleco (''Hypancistrus zebra'') is a species of
catfish
Catfish (or catfishes; order (biology), order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Catfish are common name, named for their prominent barbel (anatomy), barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, though not ...
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...
Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
. It occurs in the big bend area of the river, downstream from the town of Altamira, Para. It was first described in 1991. It gets its name from its black and white stripes, resembling the colouration of a
zebra
Zebras (, ) (subgenus ''Hippotigris'') are African equines with distinctive black-and-white striped coats. There are three living species: Grévy's zebra (''Equus grevyi''), the plains zebra (''E. quagga''), and the mountain zebra (''E. ...
. This species grows to a length of SL. This species was exported from
Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
in 1987 for sale as aquarium fish. However, currently, the Brazilian government bans the export of certain fish species, including ''H. zebra''.
''H. zebra'' is threatened by the
Belo Monte Dam
The Belo Monte Dam (''formerly known as'' Kararaô) is a hydroelectric dam complex on the northern part of the Xingu River in the state of Pará, Brazil. After its completion, with the installation of its 18th turbine, in November 2019, the in ...
in the Xingu river which has caused a severe reduction of the water flow of the entire known distribution range of the species. Due to this, the species has been classified as critically endangered and may soon become extinct in the wild. It is subject to several captive breeding programs. It is commercially bred in captivity for the aquarium trade.
Mature males have a wider head and longer interopercular spines than females. After spawning, the males will guard the eggs. The fry swim after seven days and absorb the yolk sac in two weeks.
In the aquarium
The minimum tank size for the species is said to be a minimum of 30 gallons (approximately 115 liters). Maintaining water parameters at certain levels is also of importance when keeping them in an aquarium.
The ideal water temperature for their tank is about . Reasonable water acidity levels are 6.5 pH to 7.0 pH with the water hardness ranging between 2 and 6 dKH.
''Hypancistrus zebra'' can be referred to using the
L-number
The L-number system is a semi-scientific classification system of catfish based on photographs of shipments of tropical catfish of the family Loricariidae published by the German aquarium magazine DATZ (Die Aquarien- und Terrarienzeitschrift (The ...
ing convention often applied to
Loricariidae
Loricariidae is the largest family (biology), family of catfish (order Siluriformes), with over 90 genus, genera and just over 680 species. Loricariids originate from freshwater habitats of Costa Rica, Panama, and tropical and subtropical South A ...
, although, unlike most loricariids, ''H. zebra'' has two associated L-numbers: L-046 and L-098 both refer to the species. ''H. zebra'' is a predator and requires a high protein diet, typically including small invertebrates such as insect
larva
A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...
e. When in captivity, the species is often fed fresh or frozen bloodworms,
brine shrimp
''Artemia'' is a genus of aquatic crustaceans also known as brine shrimp or ''Sea-Monkeys, sea monkeys''. It is the only genus in the Family (biology), family Artemiidae. The first historical record of the existence of ''Artemia'' dates back to t ...
and algae wafers. Occasionally, the species may be fed vegetables such as
lettuce
Lettuce (''Lactuca sativa'') is an annual plant of the family Asteraceae mostly grown as a leaf vegetable. The leaves are most often used raw in Green salad, green salads, although lettuce is also seen in other kinds of food, such as sandwiche ...
,
cucumber
The cucumber (''Cucumis sativus'') is a widely-cultivated creeping vine plant in the family Cucurbitaceae that bears cylindrical to spherical fruits, which are used as culinary vegetables.squash.
This species should not be kept in the typical community aquarium, or with discus, despite advice to the contrary. These catfish thrive in
biotope
A biotope is an area of uniform environmental conditions providing a living place for a specific assemblage of flora (plants), plants and fauna (animals), animals. ''Biotope'' is almost synonymous with the term habitat (ecology), "habitat", which ...
s with small dither fish which do not compete with ''H. zebra'' for food.
The tank should mimic their natural environment with a substrate of small smooth gravel and pebbles with smooth boulders, cobbles and rocks forming caves and crevices. The water must be highly oxygenated with a strong flow and surface agitation.
It is an expensive species because it can only be collected or reproduced in small numbers. It is a simple fish to keep but it needs clean, warm water and a fast-moving current. They are unlikely to survive in still water or a dirty environment. It is nocturnal, moderately territorial, and prefers plenty of hiding places.
In 2004, the zebra pleco was added to the IBAMA list of endangered species and exporting it from Brazil was made illegal. However, this law is only present in Brazil and black market fish traders smuggle them out of Brazil to then sell in other countries (primarily Colombia).
Breeding behaviour
Similarly to other ''Hypancistrus'' species, the male will trap the female in a cave where she will lay her eggs for the male to fertilise. This is usually done at around a pH of 6.5-7.2 and a water tempurature of 27 °C. This process can take between 1 and 5 days depending on the experience the female has in motherhood. The male will often bite the female to keep her in the cave, which is a natural behaviour for the species. Once the eggs are fertilised, the female will leave, although the male will guard the eggs until they hatch and may even stay to see them develop into fry. Once born, the fry will have a yolk sack attached to their underbelly, which is typically gone in a few days.
Conservation
The species is listed in Appendix II of the
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
Convention may refer to:
* Convention (norm), a custom or tradition, a standard of presentation or conduct
** Treaty, an agreement in international law
** Convention (political norm), uncodified legal or political tradition
* Convention (meeting ...
(CITES) meaning that international trade (including in captive bred specimens) is regulated by the CITES permitting system.
See also
*
List of freshwater aquarium fish species
A vast number of freshwater species have successfully adapted to live in aquariums. This list gives some examples of the most common species found in home aquariums.
Siluriformes, Catfish
Characiformes, Characoids
Cichl ...