At a glance the quick version
Looks how to spot one
Armoured suckermouth catfish
A small, stocky pleco covered in bony plates, with a sucker mouth and spoon-shaped teeth suited to rasping wood. Its name comes from the bold banding that runs across body and fins.13
Personality what they are like
Calm and unbothered by other fish. It spends much of its time on or near driftwood and rarely causes trouble with tankmates.1
Daily activity how busy a day looks
A slow bottom-dweller that moves around wood and decor, rasping at surfaces as it goes.1
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Prefers softer, slightly acidic water. Because wood-eating produces a lot of waste, strong filtration and regular water changes keep the tank clean.1
Home where they are happiest
Wikipedia suggests a tank of at least about 57 litres (15 US gallons). Plenty of driftwood is essential, both as food and as shelter.1
Food basics what goes in the bowl
A wood-eating pleco that needs driftwood to rasp on. Add fresh vegetables, spirulina-based foods and frozen foods such as bloodworm.13
Company who they like around
Peaceful with other fish and fits well into a mixed community with tankmates that leave the bottom to it.1
The story where it all began
Schaefer and Stewart described the species in 1993 under the genus Panaque, and it was later moved to the smaller-bodied genus Panaqolus. It is one of the most frequently seen small striped plecos in the aquarium hobby.13
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
The genus name Panaqolus is a diminutive of Panaque, pointing to its members being smaller than the true Panaque.3
- 2
Its banding varies by region: some fish have straight bars while others from the Orinoco tributaries in Bolívar State have broken or wavy patterns, and the pattern can shift with age.1
- 3
It has been sold under three different trade codes: L104, L162 and LDA22.1
- 4
Spawning in aquariums is fairly easy, but raising the young successfully is much harder.1
Recognised by the official bits
- Taxonomy
- Described by Schaefer and Stewart in 1993; formerly placed in Panaque1
- IUCN Red List
- Least Concern (assessed 2020)2
- Aquarium trade codes
- L104, L162 and LDA221
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Clown Pleco. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- FeedingSmall amounts once or twice a dayevery day
- Temperature checkevery day
- Water changeAbout 25% of the waterevery week
- Water testevery week
- Glass cleanevery week
- Filter rinseRinse in old tank water, never tap waterevery month
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at support@furrydiary.app and we will fix it.
- Panaqolus maccus - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.orgused for names, origin, size, colours, care, diet, behaviour, history
- Panaqolus maccus - FishBase fishbase.seused for origin, size, IUCN status, author
- Panaqolus - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.orgused for genus etymology and wood-eating
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.