Species Info - The Complete Online Zebra Pleco L046 Resource

SPECIES INFO

As you have probably realised, the amount of information availble on this fish in it's natural habitat is limited. Therefore the Species information is limited to what we have collected in captivity and knowledge of the genus.

The following table will allow you to familiarise yourself with the basics. We will however be expanding this section after further study of the fish in it's natural habitat.

(Picure above of a 3-4 year old male)

Family	Loricariidae
Genus	Hypancistrus
L. Number	L046, (other variations exist as L098)
Average Adult Size	70mm - 100mm
Description	Black stripes running along the white body in the lateral direction. The dorsal fin has a has a high expansion and can develope a "blue tinge" when in prime condition. The Pectorial fins have well developed rays, (for some reason these quite often become a little damaged in captivity, this could be due to territorial disputes). The characteristic sucker mouth has 4 "whiskers", and exceptionally sharp teeth.
Feeding Habits	Unlike many Plekotia, the Hypacistrus Zebra is not a herbivore. It is an omnivore, which means it will eat both vegetable matter and meat. Most fish are relatively fussy however and will develope their own preferences, although it is important ot vary their diet. A good selection of food can be: Frozen Blood worm (preferabley gamma radiated) Frozen Brine Shrimp (preferabley Gamma radiated) Live Bloodworm or Brine Shrimp, (although these can carry parasites) Peas, (crushed with the skin removed) Corgette, (or as it also known Zucchini or Baby Marrows). I prefer to par boil mine just to soften them up a bit. Tetra Prima Sometimes Algae wafers Zebras seem to prefer to eat at night, but with a strict feeding regime you will find they will come out whever it is feeding time.They do not compete well for food, so it is not wise to keep them with fish that can be slightly aggressive or greedy!
Behaviour	Zebras can be very shy, reclusive fish. It is therefore important to provide with lots of areas where they can form their own territories and hide. You may find it takes quite some time before they stop dissapearing into their caves whenever you enter the room. They can be very territorial towards their own species, which can lead to quite viscous attacks by the alpha male. SO make sure there are plenty of caves! Due to the timid nature of the zebra, it find it difficult to acclimatise to captivity. It is very common for them to die of starvation when first introduced. Try and feed them well in quite spots where they can feed without feeling threatened.
The male has definates odontodes, or hairs on the pectorial fin, the head is also slightly less rounded (pic's courtesy of zebra046)
The female has a more rounded head, and finer hairs on the pecotrial fins. (pic's courtesy of zebra046)
Here the hairs can be seen easily. Also the pectoral fin is slightly more crescent shaped on the female than the male. (pic's courtesy of zebra046)