All fish / Loricariidae

Blue-eyed pleco

Panaque suttonorum

Also known as blue-eyed panaque, blue eye pleco, blue eyed plec, sutton's panaque, l330 blue eye, panaque cochliodon, ブルーアイ・パナク, 蓝眼皇冠豹

A heavy, flattened suckermouth catfish with a uniform dark grey to black body and striking turquoise blue eyes. It is prized by catfish enthusiasts because it is rare in the trade and has spoon-shaped teeth adapted for rasping wood.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

30 cm

Temperature

24 to 29 °C

pH

6.5 to 7.5

Smallest tank

400 litres

Keep as

Keep singly or as a lone individual per large tank; adults are territorial towards other plecos

Diet

Omnivore: grazes wood and algae, with sinking algae wafers, blanched vegetables such as courgette and cucumber, and occasional meaty foods

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 15 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Venezuela: Lake Maracaibo basin

Breeding

It is a cave spawner in which the male guards the eggs, but captive breeding has rarely been reported and wild-caught fish make up almost all specimens sold.

Good to know

It reaches around 30 cm and produces a lot of waste, so strong filtration and driftwood are essential. Often confused with Panaque cochliodon from Colombia, which is sold under the same common name.