All fish / Loricariidae

Blue-eyed pleco

Panaque cochliodon

Also known as blue eye pleco, blue-eyed panaque, l330, cochliodon pleco, colombian blue eye pleco, blue eyed panaque pleco, ブルーアイパナク, 蓝眼皇冠豹

A heavy-bodied suckermouth catfish, usually dark grey to black, with striking turquoise or blue eyes that give it its trade name. Keepers prize it as a rare, impressive centrepiece pleco that grazes on wood and algae.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

30 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

6.5 to 7.5

Smallest tank

400 litres

Keep as

Singly in most tanks; adults are territorial towards other plecos

Diet

Herbivore: driftwood to rasp, plus vegetables such as courgette and cucumber and algae wafers

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 15 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Colombia: Magdalena and Cauca river basins

Breeding

It spawns in caves, with the male guarding the eggs, but captive breeding is very rarely reported. Most fish in the trade are wild-caught.

Good to know

Grows large and produces a lot of waste, so it needs strong filtration and plenty of driftwood in a big tank. Wild populations are threatened, and it is often confused with the similar L330 Panaque from Venezuela.