The undisputed emperor of Loricariidae is a well established species in the hobby. H.zebra was a sensation when it first occured in the hobby in the late 80’s, and has kept its position ever since. Overfishing, smuggling and habitat destruction have drastically affected the fate of this species in the wild. It will always be a sought after fish due to its unique looks, and global demands will cause its price to remain high forever. It’s simply impossible to produce enough of this species to make it anywhere near mainstream, even though some Indonesian breeders do their best to meet the market demands. With the damming of it’s natural habitat and the species even being prohibited for export from Brazil, captive bred stock is immensely relevant for the future existence of this species. In 2022, the Zebra Pleco was put on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendix II list, meaning paperwork is required to move them across borders, increasing the price even further.
Facts:
Name: Hypancistrus zebra (Isbrücker & Nijssen, 1991)
Trade names: Zebra Pleco, Imperial Pleco, L46, L98, L250
Origin: Rio Xingu, Brazil
Maximum size: 10 cm / 4”
As with so many other members of Hypancistrus (and other genuses for that matter), even H.zebra can sometimes occur with abnormal, mutated patterns. L98 is an example of this, but other mutations such as an all white form and a thin line form (much like the natural morph labeled L250) are also known and even line-bred in Asia. With it’s silvery eyes it can be told apart from all other Hypancistrus. L173 was long thought to be a form of H.zebra too, but it’s not. It may be a kind of natural hybrid involving H.zebra and H.seideli, or a morph of H.seideli resembling H.zebra. In captivity, some strains of L173 have been deliberately crossed with H.zebra in order to enhance the H.zebra traits to keep the price high.
These fairly small 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 (28-32 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. It’s a slightly timid and withdrawn species that doesn’t really compete too well for food and territories, so it shouldn’t be placed in a tank with much competition for resources. Among themselves they are fairly peaceful, although males may quarrel for caves and females can sometimes be badly injured or even killed during the breeding-trapping in the male’s cave.
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