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Variety of Bristlenose pleco

Calico bristlenose pleco

Ancistrus sp.

One of 4 varieties of Ancistrus sp. · See all varieties →

Also known as Calico Bushynose Pleco

FreshwaterFish

Calico bristlenose pleco (Ancistrus sp.)

Varieties · Ancistrus sp.

See all 4 →

Care at a glance

Temperature
70–79°F
21–26°C
pH
6.5–7.5
Adult size
4.9 in
12.5 cm
Minimum tank
20 gal
75 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Medium
Rarity
Very common
Family
Loricariidae

Overview

Calico fish carry orange and black patches and no two are marked alike, so shops sell them as picks rather than by grade. Juveniles go out small and the marbling keeps moving as they grow, so what is in the bag is not the final pattern. Some stores list the same look as marble or piebald.

In the wild

The calico line came out of captive Ancistrus breeding, and patchy orange and black is not a wild pattern. No source names the breeder, the country or the decade, so this is a hobby line of uncertain origin. Stock in stores is tank-bred, frequently by small domestic breeders rather than large farms.

Good to know

The patches come from melanin sitting unevenly over an orange ground, so each fish works out its own arrangement as it grows. Pattern is graded rather than a clean on or off trait, and calico pairs throw a spread of young from heavily marked to nearly plain. Hobby sources disagree about how much of the line traces back to albino stock.

Did you know

Calico marbling is individual enough that breeders identify adults from photographs instead of tagging them. The same trait is why a juvenile's pattern is a poor guide to the fish you will be looking at a year later.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

Calico bristlenose pleco is a peaceful, solitary species that keeps to the bottom. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

Is a Calico bristlenose pleco a different species from the Bristlenose pleco?

No. A Calico bristlenose pleco is a variety of the Bristlenose pleco, Ancistrus sp., and it wants the same tank, water and food as the species.

What size tank does a Calico bristlenose pleco need?

A Calico bristlenose pleco needs at least 20 gal (75 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

How big does a Calico bristlenose pleco get?

An adult Calico bristlenose pleco reaches about 4.9 in (12.5 cm).

Related species