TankMatesTankMates
Sign in
Encyclopedia / Catfish & Plecos / Zebra pleco
★New · no ratings yetIllustration

Variations

1 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Zebra pleco

Hypancistrus zebra · L046, L46, Imperial pleco

Shy, needs warm, fast, very clean water.

Local price coming soon
· real AED shop prices, never conversions
8 cmBody length, without tail ✓
26–30 °CTemperature ✓
6–7.5pH ✓
54 LSmallest tank ✓
Add to my tankCompare
Tank mates
Check your own mix →
Not recommended
  • They need different temperatures (26–30 °C vs 21–25 °C). No setting suits both.
Not recommended
  • They need different temperatures (26–30 °C vs 16–24 °C). No setting suits both.
Not recommended
  • They need different temperatures (26–30 °C vs 16–25 °C). No setting suits both.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: exactly 26 °C.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: 26–27 °C.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

182 species in our list are a good match.

Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ✓2–15 dGH
Group size ✓Can live alone
Temperament ✓Peaceful
Swims at ✓Bottom
Care level ✓Moderate
Diet Carnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 3–4 cm
Growth Slow

Behavior

Shy, needs warm, fast, very clean water.

Good to know: Critically Endangered in the wild and on CITES Appendix II since 2022. Buy only legally exported or captive-bred fish.

  • cave

Food

Meaty sinking foods, frozen bloodworms.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Mature males have odontodes (small bristles) on a thicker first pectoral-fin ray and a broader head seen from above; females lack the odontodes.

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Cave spawner ·

Cave spawner; the male guards and fans the eggs inside the cave.

Pairing

Buy a group of 6-8 young fish and grow them. Only a few pairs spawn in captivity. Wild fish exports are banned.

Setup

A 20-40 gallon (75-150 L) tank with caves and rocks, 29-30 C and very clean, well-oxygenated water.

What starts it

Warm, clean, well-oxygenated water and big water changes.

Eggs

Usually 7-15 eggs; they hatch in about a week.

Raising the fry

Males guard the cave. Feed baby brine shrimp and fine foods. Fry are tiny. Keep water excellent.

Common mistakes
  • Poor oxygen
  • Not enough caves
  • Low temperatures
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionRio Xingu – Brazil
Rivers and lakesBig Bend of the Rio Xingu near Altamira
HabitatFast-flowing rocky rapids
Native rangeAbout 100 km across
See it on the world map

The story of the zebra pleco

Described in 1991 from a small stretch of the Rio Xingu. Brazil banned its export after it was listed as threatened (IBAMA, 2004), it is Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List (threatened by the Belo Monte Dam), and since CITES CoP19 (2022) it is on CITES Appendix II, so legal fish in the trade are captive-bred.

Isbrücker and Nijssen described the zebra pleco in 1991, after it had been exported under the number L046. Its black-and-white stripes made it one of the most sought-after plecos. It comes from a small stretch of the Rio Xingu.

First described by Isaäc J. H. Isbrücker & Han Nijssen in 1991.

  • It was known in the hobby by its L-number, L046.
  • It lives in a very small area of the Rio Xingu.
  • Males guard eggs in rock crevices.

Sources

16 facts checked with sources