loricariidae.info

Parotocinclus are, as the name suggests, slightly similar to the well known Otocinclus species. They differ in their looks and in their behaviour, and P.jumbo may be too different to even be in this genus. It's almost like a cross between Hemiloricaria and Otocinclus! P.jumbo is found in coastal regions in eastern Brazil (not a subtropical species, the water in their habitats is actually quite warm), where it's habitat is threatened by human intervention. It's not allowed for export, so it's almost completely gone from the hobby these days. It has no colours to show off, so it will probably never be popular enough to maintain it's presence in the hobby unless it's allowed for export again.

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Facts:

Name: Parotocinclus jumbo (Britski & Garavello, 2002)

Trade names: LDA25, Pitbull Pleco, Goby Pleco

Origin: Rio Paraiba do Norte, Rio Mundau, Rio Salgado, Rio Canhotinho, Brazil.

Maximum TL: 7 cm / 3'' 

 

P.jumbo is a small, peaceful bottom dweller suited even for smaller tanks. They don't compete too well for food and territories, so they should not be kept with too large and too dominant fish. They often bury themselves in the substrate, so fine grained sand is preferred. They are excellent jumpers too, so keep your tank well shut! They feed on both vegetables and meat, so a varied diet consisting of green stuff with food tablets and frozen foods should be given. When they are thriving, they may breed, and this happens in a manner not unlike in Corydoras – the males chase the females which lay their eggs on leaves and even on the aquarium glass.

 

 

More info:

http://www.l-welse.com/reviewpost/showproduct.php/product/1368/cat/72 

http://www.planetcatfish.com/common/species.php?species_id=236 

http://www.planetcatfish.com/shanesworld/shanesworld.php?article_id=305