Peckoltia sp.
L038
Etymology
Peckoltia: named for German botanist and pharmacist Gustavo Peckolt who was born in Brazil, became a member of the Natural History Commission of Rondon, and published important books about Brazilian plants in the late 1800s alongside his father Theodor.
Classification
Order: Siluriformes Family: Loricariidae
Distribution
This unidentified species is collected in the vicinity of Mocajuba on the lower rio Tocantins in Pará state, Brazil.
Maximum Standard Length
100 – 120 mm.
Aquarium SizeTop ↑
An aquarium with base dimensions of 120 ∗ 30 cm or equivalent should be the smallest considered.
Maintenance
Not difficult to maintain under the correct conditions; we strongly recommend keeping it in a tank designed to simulate a flowing stream with a substrate of variably-sized rocks, sand, fine gravel, and some water-worn boulders.
This can be further furnished with driftwood branches, terracotta pipes, plant pots, etc., arranged to form a network of nooks, crannies, and shaded spots, thus providing broken lines of sight.
Water Conditions
Temperature: 23 – 29 °C
pH: 6.0 – 7.5
Hardness: 36 – 215 ppm
Diet
Wild specimens are probably omnivorous foragers but with a preference for aquatic invertebrates and suchlike.
In the aquarium it does best when offered a varied diet comprising sinking dried foods, frozen Daphnia, mosquito larvae, chironomid larvae (bloodworm), and prawn/shrimp, for, example, plus some fresh fruit, parboiled potato, etc.
Home-made foods using a mixture of natural ingredients bound with gelatin are very useful since they can be tailored to contain fresh vegetables, Spirulina and meatier ingredients.
Behaviour and CompatibilityTop ↑
Relatively peaceful but territorial with conspecifics and similarly-shaped species.
Sexual Dimorphism
Adult males possess a series of odontodes on the rear portion of the body, pectoral fins and opercle.
Reproduction
Cave-spawner with the male responsible for brood care.
References
- Stawikowski, R., A. Werner and I. Seidel, 2004 - DATZ: 1-132
DATZ Special: L-Numbers.
