Breeding Zebra Oto (Otocinclus Cocama) In The Aquarium

Location

This freshwater fish lives in streams and creeks with a lot of plants in Peru.

Body description

Colour of the body is beige-gray. There are transverse, dark stripes on the sides of the fish. These stripes are dashed and they create a pattern like a zebra's stripes. The head of the fish is almost completely dark. The fish has beige-yellow under-side. External rays of the caudal fin are elongated. The caudal fin has dark border which looks like ”w” letter. The dorsal fin is dark. Other fins are clear. This species has a sucker-mouth. The sex of the fish can be recognized when they are sexually matured. Female is thicker than male in the ventral parts.

Temperament and behaviour

This is quiet, peaceful, a bit timid and shoal species. Fish prefers to live in a group of several minimum. It is active in the evening. It can breathe atmospheric air and they eat algae.

Aquarium decoration

The aquarium should have a lot of plants, hiding-places, flat stones and other surfaces, soft substrate, dimmed light and clean water.

Breeding

This is an oviparous species. We don’t have any information about breeding these fish in the aquarium. They are imported and they very slowly adjust to life in captivity. They can die without the reason within six weeks after placing them in the aquarium. You must create for these fish stress-free conditions and feed them good quality and varied food made of plants and vegetables.