Tigris pleco

Pseudolithoxus tigris

Also known as L257, Tiger flyer pleco

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 79–86°F (26–30°C)
pH: 5.5–7.2
Adult size: 4.3 in (11 cm)
Minimum tank: 53 gal (200 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Solitary
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Upper Orinoco, Venezuela
Family: Loricariidae

Overview

The tigris pleco is a small, flattened pleco built for fast water, banded in gold and black like a tiger printed on a pancake. It is solitary, so keep one to a tank, giving it flat stone or wood to hold against the current. It works the bottom and is peaceful toward other fish, suiting active midwater tankmates that enjoy the same brisk flow. Feed it as an omnivore grazer: algae wafers and blanched vegetables plus sinking pellets and some frozen foods. The key to keeping its colour and appetite sharp is strong current and high oxygen, so filter heavily over flat rock and allow a tank of around 200 liters.

In the wild

Pseudolithoxus tigris is endemic to the upper Orinoco and Ventuari in Venezuela, clinging to flat rock in fast, shallow, highly oxygenated water. Recreate that with smooth flat stones and driftwood set in strong current, over sand. Keep it warm at 26 to 30 C and soft and slightly acidic to neutral, around pH 5.5 to 7.2. Brisk flow and high oxygen are the priority, since this is a rheophilic fish shaped by life in the rapids.

Good to know

Pseudolithoxus tigris is a member of Loricariidae reaching about 11 centimeters, its flattened body banded in gold and black. The genus are the flat or flyer plecos, pressed low to grip fast-flowing rock, and mature males grow greatly elongated odontodes along the snout and pectoral spines. Breeding is of moderate difficulty and follows a cave-spawning pattern, with the male guarding the eggs.

Did you know

It looks like a tiger pattern printed on a pancake, the bold banding stretched across a body flattened almost flush to grip rock in the current. Evolution, it seems, will decorate anything that holds still long enough on a stone.