Butterfly pleco - Dekeyseria brachyura

Food and feeding
In the wild this fish survives on an algae diet, add plenty of vegetable matter in the aquarium, cucumber and zucchini are ideal for this. Wood should also be included in the setup as they will gnaw at this to aid their digestion.

Origin
South America; they inhabit the Rio Negro, a large tributary of the Amazon River.

Sexing
There are no visible differences between the sexes.

Breeding
This is one of the easier plecs to breed. Caves and pipe work should be added to the breeding tank. This will give the fish a choice of spawning sites. When the eggs are laid the male will fan and guard them, making them stay in the spawning site until they are fully formed.

Lifespan
The expected life span for this fish is 5-8 years.

Short description
Butterfly plecs can darken to blend in with their surroundings. Using the right décor will help to keep them a brighter color. They can be territorial to their own species but the fights are usually just a chase around the tank.

Pictures
Bought by aqua-fish.net from jjphoto.dk.