A rarely seen species in the hobby.

This species is sometimes referred to as Hypostomus villarsi, and is a rare find in the hobby. If you're lucky enough to see some for sale, check the fish have rounded bellies and that their eyes aren't sunken before you part with any cash, as these are classic signs of emaciation in newly imported Loricariids….

This undescribed species is part of the Hypostomus cochliodon species complex, all members of which were previously included in the genus Cochliodon, now considered a synonym of Hypostomus. Members of this group can be distinguished from congeners by several differences in morphology, most notably the hump-backed profile of mature fish and spoon-shaped dentition. These features, along with the fishes tendency to eat wood, are shared with the Panaque genus of the Ancistrinae subfamily, but the tw…

This undescribed species is part of the Hypostomus cochliodon complex, all of which were previously included in the genus Cochliodon, which is now considered a synonym of Hypostomus. Members of this group can be distinguished from congeners by several differences in morphology, most notably the hump-backed profile of mature fish and spoon-shaped dentition. These features, along with the fishes tendency to eat wood, are shared with the Panaque genus of the Ancistrinae subfamily, but the two gener…

An attractive and very hardy larger plec.

This attractive species is often seen for sale at around 3-4" in length (often as Hypostomus cf. emarginata or H. emarginatus), but given its adult size, its not a terribly good choice for the general community tank. Due to its very wide natural distribution, there are a number of known geographical variants, and this has resulted in four L numbers currently being assigned to it. In reality, there are many more variants than this, and all share the characteristic elongated which gives rise…

This undescribed species is part of the Hypostomus cochliodon complex, all of which were previously included in the genus Cochliodon. This is now considered a synonym of Hypostomus. Members of this group can be distinguished from congeners by several differences in morphology, most notably the hump-backed profile of mature fish and spoon-shaped dentition. These features, along with the fishes tendency to eat wood, are shared with the Panaque genus of the Ancistrinae subfamily, but the two genera…

It's suprising that this relatively unknown species is not more popular in the hobby, given its small adult size and peaceable nature. It's often confused with LDA09, but can be distinguished by the pattern of small spots on its head, as in LDA09 the spots are larger and uniform in size over the whole body.

This species is part of the Hypostomus cochliodon complex, all of which were previously included in the genus Cochliodon, which is now considered a synonym of Hypostomus. Members of this group can be distinguished from congeners by several differences in morphology, most notably the hump-backed profile of mature fish and spoon-shaped dentition. These features, along with the fishes tendency to eat wood, are shared with the Panaque genus of the Ancistrinae subfamily, but the two genera are known …

One of the most enigmatic species in the hobby, this incredible little catfish must rank amongst the most stunning freshwater species known. In the late 1990s and the early part of this century you could buy one of these for as little as twenty pounds. However in 2004, the Brazilian government banned the exportation of the species amid apparent concerns over the exploitation of wild stocks. As yet, the conservation status of the fish has not been confirmed by any scientific proof with the only e…