The fish list

Sunshine pleco

L014

Scobinancistrus aureatus

Rio Xingu, Brazil · rapids

Temperature

27–31°C

pH

5.5–7.5

Adult size

12 in · 30 cm

Flow

Strong

Swims

Bottom

Temperament

Territorial

Diet

Carnivore

Breeding

Rarely

Typical price

$150–400

In Canada

Rare

Rarity

Rare or hard to breed

Yellow spots and orange fin edges. A big snail-eater that needs a large tank.

Photo: Gabriel Lelis Togni, CC BY 3.0

Red-fin cactus

L024

Pseudacanthicus pitanga

Rio Tocantins, Brazil · rapids

Temperature

26–30°C

pH

5.5–7.5

Adult size

16 in · 40 cm

Flow

Strong

Swims

Bottom

Temperament

Aggressive

Diet

Carnivore

Breeding

Rarely

Typical price

$130–400

In Canada

Rare

Rarity

Rare or hard to breed

Dark body with red fin edges. Large and aggressive.

Photo: B. Phalan, CC BY 4.0

Scarlet cactus

L025

Pseudacanthicus pirarara

Rio Xingu, Brazil · rapids

Temperature

26–30°C

pH

5.5–7.5

Adult size

24 in · 60 cm

Flow

Strong

Swims

Bottom

Temperament

Aggressive

Diet

Carnivore

Breeding

Rarely

Typical price

$400–1000

In Canada

Rare

Rarity

Rare or hard to breed

Grey with scarlet fins. Can pass 60 cm, so it needs a tank of its own.

Photo: JSutton93, CC BY SA

Xingu royal

L027

Panaque armbrusteri

Rio Xingu and Tocantins, Brazil · rapids

Temperature

26–30°C

pH

5.5–7.5

Adult size

16 in · 40 cm

Flow

Strong

Swims

Bottom

Temperament

Territorial

Diet

Wood

Breeding

Rarely

Typical price

$100–300

In Canada

Rare

Rarity

Rare or hard to breed

A large royal pleco from the Xingu and Tocantins. Needs a very big tank.

Photo: JSutton93, CC BY-SA 4.0

Golden cloud

L048

Scobinancistrus cf. pariolispos

Xingu and Tapajós basins, Brazil · rapids

Temperature

27–31°C

pH

5.5–7.5

Adult size

12 in · 30 cm

Flow

Strong

Swims

Bottom

Temperament

Territorial

Diet

Carnivore

Breeding

Rarely

Typical price

$150–400

In Canada

Rare

Rarity

Rare or hard to breed

Fine pale spots on black. Large and rarely available.

Photo: Gabriel Lelis Togni, CC BY 3.0

Gold nugget

L081

Baryancistrus xanthellus

Rio Xingu, and the Rio Iriri for L177 · rapids

Temperature

27–30°C

pH

5.5–7.5

Adult size

8 in · 20 cm

Flow

Strong

Swims

Bottom

Temperament

Territorial

Diet

Omnivore

Breeding

Hard

Typical price

$60–250

In Canada

Occasional

Rarity

Rare or hard to breed

Black with yellow spots and gold fin edges. Grows larger than Hypancistrus and holds a territory.

Photo: Anne Blindheim, CC BY-SA 3.0

Leopard cactus

L114

Pará, Brazil. Sources differ on the exact river. · rapids

Temperature

26–30°C

pH

5.5–7.5

Adult size

14 in · 35 cm

Flow

Strong

Swims

Bottom

Temperament

Aggressive

Diet

Carnivore

Breeding

Rarely

Typical price

$250–800

In Canada

Rare

Rarity

Rare or hard to breed

Cream with bold black spots and a spiny body. Grows to about 35 cm and is aggressive.

Photo: Whaldener Endo, CC0

Blue phantom

L128

Upper Orinoco, Venezuela · rapids

Temperature

26–30°C

pH

5.5–7.5

Adult size

8 in · 20 cm

Flow

Strong

Swims

Bottom

Temperament

Territorial

Diet

Omnivore

Breeding

Moderate–hard

Typical price

$80–200

In Canada

Occasional

Rarity

Rare or hard to breed

Blue-grey with fine white dots. Grows larger than it looks in the store.

Photo: EnjiBenji, CC0

Hi-fin green phantom

L200hf

Baryancistrus demantoides

Upper Orinoco and Ventuari, Venezuela · rapids

Temperature

27–30°C

pH

5.5–7.5

Adult size

6 in · 16 cm

Flow

Strong

Swims

Bottom

Temperament

Territorial

Diet

Omnivore

Breeding

Hard

Typical price

$100–250

In Canada

Rare

Rarity

Rare or hard to breed

The hi-fin version, with a tall dorsal. Territorial, and rarely bred.

Photo: Anne Blindheim, CC BY-SA 3.0

Sultan

L264

Leporacanthicus joselimai

Rio Tapajós, Brazil · rapids

Temperature

26–30°C

pH

5.5–7.5

Adult size

8 in · 20 cm

Flow

Strong

Swims

Bottom

Temperament

Territorial

Diet

Carnivore

Breeding

Hard

Typical price

$60–150

In Canada

Occasional

Rarity

Rare or hard to breed

White spots and white-tipped fins on black. Grows to about 20 cm and holds a cave firmly.

Photo: Thomas Siems, CC BY-SA 2.0

Guyana leopard cactus

L600

Pseudacanthicus leopardus

Rupununi and Essequibo, Guyana, and the Rio Branco, Brazil · rapids

Temperature

26–30°C

pH

5.5–7.5

Adult size

12 in · 30 cm

Flow

Strong

Swims

Bottom

Temperament

Aggressive

Diet

Carnivore

Breeding

Rarely

Typical price

$90–300

In Canada

Rare

Rarity

Rare or hard to breed

Spotted cactus pleco with orange-edged fins. Large, spiny and aggressive with other plecos.

Photo: Sesamehoneytart, CC BY-SA 3.0

Galaxy vampire

L029

Leporacanthicus galaxias

Rio Tocantins and nearby Pará rivers, Brazil · rapids

Temperature

26–30°C

pH

5.5–7.5

Adult size

10 in · 25 cm

Flow

Strong

Swims

Bottom

Temperament

Aggressive

Diet

Carnivore

Breeding

Hard

Typical price

$60–200

In Canada

Occasional

Rarity

Rare or hard to breed

The vampire pleco. Beautiful, but it gets large and bullies smaller plecos.

Three-beacon vampire

L091

Leporacanthicus triactis

Orinoco, Venezuela · rapids

Temperature

26–30°C

pH

5.5–7.5

Adult size

8 in · 20 cm

Flow

Strong

Swims

Bottom

Temperament

Territorial

Diet

Carnivore

Breeding

Hard

Typical price

$60–150

In Canada

Occasional

Rarity

Rare or hard to breed

Eats snails and holds a cave firmly. Can be rough with smaller plecos.

Big white spot

L142

Xingu and Tapajós basins, Brazil · rapids

Temperature

27–30°C

pH

5.5–7.5

Adult size

10 in · 25 cm

Flow

Strong

Swims

Bottom

Temperament

Territorial

Diet

Omnivore

Breeding

Hard

Typical price

$80–200

In Canada

Rare

Rarity

Rare or hard to breed

Big white spots on black with white fin edges. Striking, but big and territorial.

Super white

L236

Rio Xingu, Pará, Brazil · rapids

Temperature

28–31°C

pH

5.5–7.5

Adult size

4 in · 9 cm

Flow

Strong

Swims

Bottom

Temperament

Peaceful

Diet

Carnivore

Breeding

Moderate, slow

Typical price

$200–1000

In Canada

Rare

Rarity

Rare or hard to breed

Grading is by how much white shows, and the whitest fish sell for the most. Best at 29–30°C with strong flow and protein-heavy food.