Common Pleco M

General information

While the common pleco name is shared across several plecos the Pterygoplichthys pardalis can grow to approximately 19 inches long. It is sometimes confused with the Hypostomus plecostomus but the two species can be distinguished by their number of dorsal rays Pterygoplichthys pardalis has 11–13, while the Hypostomus plecostomus has only 5–8 dorsal rays.

Pterygoplichthys pardalis are omnivores scavengers and are not a picky eater. They actively feed off the bottom of the aquarium, they get most of their nutrition from leftover food, decaying plants, and algae. If there is no algae or leftover food present, supplement with high-quality flake food, sinking carnivore pellets, freeze-dried bloodworms, and tubifex.

The Pterygoplichthys pardalis species is native to the Amazon River Basin of Brazil and Peru.