pfkmmag

TROPICAL
Hypostomus cochliodon
Rusty complex
So who are the Rusty plecs? They’re
fish belonging to what’s called the
Hypostomus cochliodon complex,
which started as a group of eight
fish that were all originally clustered
in the scientific genus Cochliodon.
Subsequent revision showed them
all to be Hypostomus species (much
like the so-called ‘common’ plec,
Hypostomus plecostomus) and all
eight were renamed before being
joined by a couple more species
described in 2010.
To look at, they share a few
Factfile
Blue-eyed redfin
rusty plec
Scientific name: Hypostomus soniae
Pronunciation: High-poss-tow-muss
sonn-ee-ay
Size: 30cm
Origin: Rio Tapajos, Brazil
Habitat: Pools and slow-flowing rivers,
always around fallen wood
Tank size: Minimum 150x45x45cm
Water requirements: Softish, slightly
acidic water preferred; 6.2-7.2 pH,
hardness 4-12°H
Temperature: Prefers to be between
24-28°C
Temperament: Peaceful
Feeding: Must have wood in the tank to
graze on. Hardwoods such as apple
recommended
Availability and cost: A little rarer than
the others; from around £35
features. First, as adults they have
high backs, to the point of looking
hunched. Flip them over and look in
the mouth and a trained eye will
spot a fascinating thing –
curious teeth. For most
members of the genus,
the teeth are
spoon-shaped
and have
evolved for one
purpose alone
– rasping at wood.
All fish in the H.
cochliodon group are
termed ‘xylophores’, which
is to say they’re wood eaters.
They’ve evolved this trait to cope
with the often dark waters they
inhabit. Where light is scarce, so too
are the algae, aufwuchs and plant
life that suckermouth cats crave.
This makes them rather messy
fish. In the right tank, they’ll rasp on
wood all day, every day, slowly
digesting the nutrients contained
within, and passing out a rich
lumber dust. Speaking from
experience, Rusty plecs are more
than capable of sullying substrates
and clogging filter foams.
Second, they’re prone to starvation.
In a tank without wood, they are
entirely at the whim of the aquarist
If you want to see plecs
regularly in your tank, don’t put
their wood at the back –
bring it forwards to
show them
off.
to provide all they need. Greenfoods
are often relished – courgette,
broccoli and the like – though tablets
and wafers hold less interest.
Third, and worst of all, I’ve
known Rusty plecs to
poison themselves.
Ornamental resin
decorations,
covered with
bright paints and
varnishes, pose
no obstacle to
wood-rasping teeth. On
more than one occasion
have I seen a dead fish,
apparently full-bellied and lacking
symptoms, in a tank where garish
decoration has been scraped bare.
Suckermouth trio
In the UK we only see three species
brought in with any regularity. Most
common is the standard Rusty plec,
Hypostomus cochliodon, and easily
spotted due to its unique markings
– a dark body with lighter, rusttinted
fins, and toffee-light streaks
emerging from behind each eye.
Then there’s the fish I fawned over
on the previous pages. This is the
Spotted rusty plec, Hypostomus cf.
cochliodon. It is a harder fish to find,
but given away by being a halfway
marcelo Krause
Not a shy fish
in the wild or in
aquariums.
300 l+
Pale blue eyes
and red finnage
attract us
fishkeepers.
nathan hill
26 PRACTICAL FISHKEEPING