Butterfly Pleco (L168)

Care at a glance

Overview

A flat, disc-shaped pleco for a tank around 150 liters with soft water and good flow. It is primarily a grazer, so keep vegetable matter, algae wafers, blanched greens, and driftwood available, with only occasional protein. Peaceful and community safe, though it wants clean, oxygen-rich water to stay healthy.

In the wild

Lives in soft, acidic, tannin-stained streams and tributaries of the Rio Negro with moderate to strong flow. It is an omnivore that leans on aufwuchs and vegetable matter, grazing biofilm and algae off wood and rock while taking some meaty food. Wants well-oxygenated moving water, driftwood, and shaded hides.

Good to know

Described as Dekeyseria brachyura and sometimes placed in the genus Zonancistrus, it can change color quickly to match its surroundings. On pale sand it shows bold dark bands on a cream body, and on dark substrate it can turn almost solid black within minutes. That chameleon trick is unusual among plecos.

Did you know

Keepers use its color-change ability as a mood read, since a stressed butterfly pleco often blanches or darkens far faster than it changes for camouflage.

Related species

• Starlight Bristlenose Pleco (L183)

  Ancistrus dolichopterus

  5.5 in (14 cm)30 gal (115 L)79–84°F (26–29°C)

• 

  Twig catfish

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• Medusa Pleco (L034)

  Ancistrus ranunculus

  5.9 in (15 cm)40 gal (150 L)79–86°F (26–30°C)

• 

  Bristlenose pleco

  Ancistrus sp.

  4.9 in (12.5 cm)20 gal (75 L)70–79°F (21–26°C)
• Sturgeon Catfish

  Lamontichthys filamentosus

  6.3 in (16 cm)36 gal (135 L)72–86°F (22–30°C)

• 

  Candy Striped Pleco (L015)

  Peckoltia vittata

  4.7 in (12 cm)30 gal (115 L)77–84°F (25–29°C)