The Zebra Pleco, Hypancistrus zebra, gets its name from its black and white stripes, resembling the colouration of a zebra. It is a species of catfish commonly found in the Xingu River, a tributary of the Amazon River, and was first described in the early 1990s. This fish was exported from Brazil in great numbers which caused it to become endangered. The Brazilian Government responded by putting a ban on the exportation of the Zebra Pleco. Since this ban has been enforced, there has been a trend towards the captive breeding of this exotic and expensive catfish, due to its popularity.
The Hypancistrus Zebra is labelled as L046 in the L-numbering of discovered loricaridae catfish. As with all loricaridae catfish they are of South American Origin, sometimes described as South American Suckermouth Catfish, as their suckermouth is usually used to “Suck” on stones and pieces of submerged wood for food, usually algae.
All South American Suckermouth Catfish are found within one of the tributaries of the Amazon River.
It is one of two species in the Hypancistrus genus. The other is Hypancistrus inspector.
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