Snowball Pleco

Geographic Origin and Biotope: Rio Casiquiare (Upper Orinoco, Venezuela). Inhabits smooth rock rapids intersected by immense tangles of wood in Blackwater.

Taxonomy and Morphology: L201 / Orinoco Angel Pleco (Hypancistrus inspector). Compared to its cousin "contradens", the inspector has a much flatter head (aerodynamic profile), the white polka dots are much smaller and denser, and the eye is proportionally immense (hence the name).

Social Behavior: Peaceful but markedly asocial. Spends its entire life hidden under trunks; comes out only in pitch darkness to feed. Skirmishes with peers are limited to shoves for the caves.

Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Coal-black back and flanks dotted with very fine and bright yellowish-white dots that thin out on the pale belly. Males develop showy odontodes on the cheeks (interopercular odontodes) and a more angular forehead.

Aquarium Setup: Sandy background or smooth pebbles. Absolute obligation to create dens or "crevasses": terracotta tubes, slate caves or wooden castles. The tank should never have bright direct lights. They love considerable currents.

Diet and Feeding: Absolutely does not eat algae! It is a carnivore. Must be fed at night with frozen bloodworms, mysis, and sinking protein wafers. An excess of vegetable fibers can cause occlusions.

Water Quality: Requires pure, warm (27-29°C / 81-84°F) and soft waters, even if captive adults tolerate neutral pH. Extremely sensitive to copper and heavy medicines in the tank.

Compatibility and Tankmates: Excellent tankmate for Discus tanks (given the heat) or schools of Characins (Cardinal Tetra, Rummy-Nose). Being small it does not bother corydoras. Do not insert large or aggressive benthic fish (Labeos, Loaches) that would steal its food.

Aquarium Reproduction: Cave breeder. The male traps the female, forces her to lay up to 30 eggs, fertilizes them and then drives the female away to brood them (fanning them with his fins) for almost 20 days.

Risks and Diseases: Starvation. Shy fish like him tend to waste away if put with fish that eat too fast, since he never comes out during the day to compete for the wafers.