Remarks:  The pitbull pleco is a fascinating dwarf species of Loricariid known from clear streams and rivers in eastern Brazil. For many years they were an important staple for Brazilian exporters and breeders as they were heavily in demand for the aquarium hobby similar to the role held by otocinclus today. When heavy export restraints were placed on Brazilian species, the market all but fizzled out save for the few already existing in captivity on other continents. This lasted for about 10 years causing the pitbull pleco to essentially disappear from the hobby. However, this fish is now making a big comeback with Brazil exports being reopened and heavy breeding efforts being undertaken in places such as Indonesia making them a bit more affordable and available.

  This oddball of a tiny catfish attained its popularity in the past for a reason. They were known for their voracious appetite for algae, peaceful disposition, social proclivities, and fairly high levels of activity. The pitbull pleco lives in groups of hundreds in the wild so they prefer to be kept in groups of at least 3-6 in captivity with more always being better. The larger the group, the more brave they will be and the more likely you will see fascinating interactions between individuals as they establish their pecking order and males attempt to court females. While they will feed on algae and biofilm on just about any surface, the pitbull pleco does prefer to spend most of its time on the bottom of the tank where it will occasionally bury itself to rest and hide if the substrate allows for it. For this reason, they should be kept on a soft sand substrate similar to the needs of Corydoradinae species. Another aspect they share with this subfamily is the way they spawn. Pitbull plecos spawn almost exactly like Corydoradinae species where the females will lay their eggs on a smooth surface after which males will fertilize said eggs.

  With all their similarities behaviorally to Corydoradinae, care needs and small size like an otocinclus, and their appearance resembling that of a traditional pleco, many describe the pitbull pleco to be like a combination of all three despite not belonging to any of these groups. Also like all three, they make absolutely fantastic additions to most planted or peaceful community tanks that match their required parameters. If all their needs are met, there is a chance you may even get these wonderful little Loricariids to spawn. We greatly encourage attempts at this as they are an excellent aquarium fish that we hope will now stay a staple of the hobby.