Guianense otocinclus

Hypoptopoma guianense

Also known as Hypoptopoma guianensis, Guiana giant oto

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 75–82°F (24–28°C)
pH: 6.0–7.5
Adult size: 3 in (7.5 cm)
Minimum tank: 29 gal (110 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Guiana Shield rivers
Family: Loricariidae

Overview

This is a sturdy, oversized oto that likes company, so keep a group of several and watch them tile themselves across the wood. They are peaceful, harmless grazers that scrape algae and biofilm from driftwood, stems, and glass through the day. Keep them with small, calm community fish, and do not expect them to live on cleanup alone: back up natural grazing with algae wafers and blanched vegetables, since a larger oto eats more than a small one. A tank of around 110 liters holds a small group.

In the wild

It comes from rivers of the Guiana Shield, including the Essequibo in Guyana and the Nickerie in Suriname, warm clear-to-tea-colored waters with wood and vegetation. Give it a well-planted tank with driftwood, gentle to moderate flow, and plenty of grazing surfaces. Keep it warm at about 24 to 28 C with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5 and clean, stable water.

Good to know

Hypoptopoma guianense is a loricariid that reaches about 7.5 centimeters, with the low, side-set eyes typical of the genus. It was first described in 1974 from a tributary of the Nickerie River. The species name is spelled guianense, the neuter form, to agree grammatically with its genus, rather than the guianensis often seen in the trade. It lays adhesive eggs on solid surfaces, at moderate breeding difficulty.

Did you know

Even the spelling of its name has been tidied up: it is written guianense, not guianensis, so the Latin ending agrees with the neuter gender of the genus Hypoptopoma.