







Hopliancistrus wolverine is a very cool and fitting name, which obviously refers to the “hooks” (odontodes) they have beneath their gill covers. However, the fish in question has mostly been traded as L17. It’s often confused with L67, Pseudancistrus asurini, a species with very similar pattern, and they do actually live syntopic in the river. However, one can quite easily separate them just by looking at the odontodes beneath the eyes; Hopliancistrus possess three defining hooks, P.asurini have lots of thinner, needle-like odontodes around their snout as well as a flatter shape and longer head. What’s interesting is that if you take a closer look at the original picture of L17 in DATZ magazine, it seems to actually show P.asurini…and the text reveals nothing indicating that the fish is a Hopliancistrus. So, perhaps L17 = L67 = P.asurini, and there is no L-number for H.wolverine?
Name: Hopliancistrus wolverine (Oliveira, Zuanon, Rapp Py-Daniel, Birindelli & Sousa, 2021)
Trade names: Wolverine Pleco, L17 (now unclear), LDA15
Origin: Rio Xingu, Brazil
Maximum size: 25 cm / 10”
These medium sized Plecos are found in rock crevices in the rapids of Rio Xingu. They need an aquarium set up consisting of lots of hiding places in the form of rocks, wood and of course specially made caves that suit their measurements. In these the males will eventually guard their offspring. They prefer water that is warm (27-32 C), soft and slightly acidic. Most of all it should be well oxygenated and clean, so a good filtration system and frequent water changes are essential. The cool thing about H.wolverine is that it’s a species you actually see out in the open frequently, it’s not very shy. This could be due to its herbivorous nature, as a grazer of algae and detritus it’s likely to be a constant feeder in the wild. In captivity they should be fed a varied diet consisting of vegetables, tablets containing vegetable matter and additional frozen foods as well as quality dry foods.
As with several other species found in the Xingu rapids, even this one is variable. Some specimens have smaller, more numerous spots and some have a yellow caudal seam (LDA15) instead of just yellow tips. They could be local variations, or just normal variations within the species. Since it hasn’t been bred, this has so far not been possible to determine via captive breeding. According to Seidel, there are some slight differences in body and fin proportions between the various forms too.
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