Aguaboa bristlenose pleco

Ancistrus aguaboensis

Also known as L032

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 77–84°F (25–29°C)
pH: 6.0–7.5
Adult size: 3.1 in (8 cm)
Minimum tank: 29 gal (110 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Solitary
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Rio Água Boa, Tocantins basin, Brazil
Family: Loricariidae

Overview

This is a small bristlenose that keeps to itself, so a single fish or a male and female pair suits a tank better than a crowd; two males will squabble over caves. It spends the day clamped to wood or tucked in a cave and comes out at night to rasp algae and biofilm from surfaces. Temperament is peaceful, so it mixes well with calm community fish that will not bully it off its food. Offer algae wafers and vegetables such as zucchini or cucumber, along with the odd sinking meaty item, and keep a piece of driftwood in the tank for it to graze and gnaw. A tank of around 110 liters gives it room and a territory of its own.

In the wild

The Aguaboa bristlenose comes from the Rio Agua Boa, a clear tributary in the Tocantins basin of Brazil, where it lives among rock and sunken wood in relatively fast, well-oxygenated water. Recreate that with a mature tank, plenty of driftwood and rocky caves, and a moderate current. Keep the water soft to neutral, roughly pH 6.0 to 7.5, and warm at about 25 to 29 C. Good filtration and steady oxygen matter more to it than any decoration.

Good to know

Ancistrus aguaboensis belongs to Loricariidae, the suckermouth armored catfishes, and is a dwarf member of the bristlenose group at about 8 centimeters. Its dark body is dusted with small pale spots, and males grow the branching fleshy tentacles across the snout that give bristlenoses their name. Like others in the genus it is a cave spawner of moderate difficulty: the male takes a narrow cave, the female lays a clutch inside, and he guards and fans the eggs until they hatch.

Did you know

Only males grow the branching snout tentacles, and one well-known idea is that these fleshy growths mimic a clutch of wriggling larvae, so a female may read them as a sign the male is already a proven father.

Tank mates

Aguaboa bristlenose pleco is a peaceful, solitary species that keeps to the bottom. These picks match on water type, temperature, pH, size and temperament.