Starry night bristlenose pleco

Ancistrus hoplogenys

Also known as Ancistrus punctatus, L059, L182, Starlight bristlenose

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 77–84°F (25–29°C)
pH: 5.5–7.0
Adult size: 7.1 in (18 cm)
Minimum tank: 42 gal (160 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Solitary
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Amazon basin blackwaters
Family: Loricariidae

Overview

The starry night bristlenose is a black bristlenose pleco speckled with white, an easy grazer with the same gentle habits as the common bristlenose but a taste for softer water. It is solitary and best kept one to a tank, or a pair, giving it a cave to hold. It works the bottom and is peaceful and community safe, suiting calm midwater tankmates. Feed it as an omnivore that leans vegetable: algae wafers, blanched courgette and other vegetables, and driftwood to rasp, with some sinking pellets and light protein. Give it wood, caves, and clean warm water, and allow a tank of around 160 liters.

In the wild

Ancistrus hoplogenys grazes over submerged wood in soft, tannin-stained Amazon waters. Recreate that with plenty of driftwood, some dried leaves, and stone caves, over sand. Keep it warm at 25 to 29 C and soft and acidic, roughly pH 5.5 to 7.0, clean and gently flowing. A little tannin from leaves or wood suits its blackwater origin and helps show off the pale spotting against the dark body.

Good to know

Ancistrus hoplogenys is a bristlenose catfish of Loricariidae, reaching about 18 centimeters, jet black scattered with white pinpoint spots and pale fin edges. The name means armed cheek, after the stiff spines on the gill covers, while mature males also grow the bushy snout tentacles typical of the genus. The name covers several similar black-and-white forms in the trade, including L059 and the fish sold as Ancistrus punctatus. Breeding is of moderate difficulty, with the male guarding eggs in a cave.

Did you know

Young fish wear bright white edges on the fins, crisp against the black body like fresh trim on a night sky. Those pale margins slowly fade with age, leaving older adults plainer than the juveniles that first catch a buyer's eye.

Tank mates

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