Hypostomus plecostomus – Suckermouth Catfish

The Suckermouth Catfish (Hypostomus plecostomus) is a tropical fish from South America. It is commonly known as the Pleco.

It has a sucker-like mouth which enables it to stick to smooth surfaces (like a suction cap). It is dark-coloured, usually dark-grey, with extensive mottling.

It can grow to about 50 centimetres (20 inches) long.

The Suckermouth Catfish is omnivorous, feeding on algae, aquatic plants, and crabs. It is a bottom-feeder, feeding on the bottom of the ocean, along the sand. It is nocturnal, because it is active at night.

It is also called the Janitor Fish because it cleans algae from surfaces (including from the glass sides of an aquarium).

MARTINA NICOLLSis an international aid and development consultant, and the authorof:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom(2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).

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