All fish / Loricariidae

Trinidad bristlenose

Ancistrus maracasae

Also known as ancistrus trinitatis, trinidad bristlenose pleco, trinidad bristlenose catfish, maracas bristlenose, bristlenose pleco, bushynose pleco, アンシストルス, 胡子异型

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A small, armoured suckermouth catfish with a dark brown body covered in pale spots, and males grow the fleshy bristles on the snout that give bristlenoses their name. It comes from clear, fairly fast hill streams in Trinidad and is kept for its modest size, hardiness and steady grazing of algae.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

10 cm

Temperature

22 to 27 °C

pH

6.5 to 7.8

Smallest tank

80 litres

Keep as

Singly or a pair; one male per tank unless space allows several caves

Diet

Omnivore: algae wafers, blanched vegetables, biofilm and occasional frozen bloodworm or brine shrimp

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 10 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Trinidad (Maracas and Northern Range streams) and possibly coastal Venezuela

Breeding

Males guard eggs laid inside a cave or pipe and fan them until the fry hatch and become free-swimming after about a week. Spawning is easy with good water quality, plenty of oxygen and suitable caves, and the fry can be raised on algae wafers and vegetables.

Good to know

Provide driftwood and strong oxygenation, as it comes from cool, fast streams. Males can be territorial with each other over caves.