Plecos · Hypancistrus

Zebra L046

Hypancistrus zebra · Volta Grande of the Rio Xingu, Brazil

Photo: Birger A, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Brazil banned wild export, so Canadian stock is tank-bred. Clean, even stripes where L236 are broken and patchy.

The Zebra L046 (Hypancistrus zebra) is a freshwater fish from Volta Grande of the Rio Xingu, Brazil, where it lives in rapids habitat. Adults reach about 8 cm (3.1 in). Keep it at 26–30 °C (79–86 °F) and pH 6–7.5, with strong, well-oxygenated flow. It is peaceful. In the wild it grazes on algae, detritus and tiny animals. In the aquarium feed mostly meaty foods: frozen bloodworm, brine shrimp and quality sinking pellets, with the odd vegetable.

At a glance

Water temperature

26–30 °C 79–86 °F

6–7.5 neutral water

Adult size

8 cm 3.1 in

Swims ≈

Bottom mostly on the floor and in caves

Current

Strong fast, oxygen-rich water

Food

Eats most foods

Temperament

Peaceful

Where it comes from

Home water

Volta Grande of the Rio Xingu, Brazil

Xingu

Lives in rapids habitat.

The dot marks where it's collected. Map: Natural Earth.

Zebra

L046

≈

Plecos · HypancistrusCR

Brazil banned wild export, so Canadian stock is tank-bred.

Zebra

L046

Hypancistrus zebra

Volta Grande of the Rio Xingu, Brazil · rapids

Temperature: 26–30°C
pH: 6–7.5
Adult size: 3 in · 8 cm
Flow: Strong
Swims: Bottom
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet: Omnivore
Breeding: Moderate, slow
Typical price: $150–500
In Canada: Occasional
Status in the wild: Critically endangered

Brazil banned wild export, so Canadian stock is tank-bred. Clean, even stripes where L236 are broken and patchy.

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savethelittlefish.org/species/L046/

Photo: Birger A, CC BY-SA 3.0

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Sources

We name everyone whose work is on this page. Where sources disagree, we show the best one: a scientific paper first, then aquarium references.

Diet, habitat Gonçalves AP. 2011. Ecologia e etnoecologia de Hypancistrus zebra (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) no rio Xingu, Amazônia brasileira. MSc dissertation, Universidade Federal do Pará (abstract) Paper
Habitat, home range Sousa LM, Sousa EB, Oliveira RR, Sabaj MH, Zuanon J, Rapp Py-Daniel L. 2025. Two new species of Hypancistrus (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) from the rio Xingu, Amazon, Brazil. Neotropical Ichthyology 23(1): e240080. doi:10.1590/1982-0224-2024-0080 Paper
Temperature, ph, adult size, water flow, habitat, temperament, breeding, diet Seriously Fish: Hypancistrus zebra (accessed Oct 2026) Website Says: carnivore diet
Conservation status, adult size, breeding, scientific name, temperature FishBase: Hypancistrus zebra species summary (accessed Oct 2026) Website Says: 7 cm; 23–26 °C
Adult size, diet, conservation status, ph, temperature ScotCat: Hypancistrus zebra factsheet (accessed Oct 2026) Website Says: 10 cm; carnivore diet; pH 6–7; 26–28 °C
Photo Birger A, CC BY-SA 3.0 Wikimedia Commons
Map of rivers and countries Natural Earth public domain map data Map

Not checked yet: availability, price. These are our own estimates from typical hobby ranges. We haven't checked them against a published source yet.

Know a good source for this fish? Tell us

Tank mates

Checked against a roomy 300 L planted tank with high flow and plenty of caves. Your own tank may change the answer: try it in Your tanks.

Good together

Keep apart

Aggressive and will eat the zebra

Dovii Flowerhorn Midas cichlid Red devil
Need a different pH and will eat the zebra

Frontosa
Need different temperatures and aggressive and will eat the zebra

Green terror
Will eat the zebra

Oscar Peacock bass

In the hobby

Where to find it

In stock now

Aquarists Across Canada, Victoria · $299.99
(Pre-Order) L46 ZEBRA PLECO (Hypancistrus zebra) · seen Sep 25

Run a store? List the fish you usually have. Breed fish? List your fry.

Search Kijiji for L046

Tanks with this fish

Demo Zebra pleco breeding tank Save the Little Fish demo · 6 fish, 1 kind

Demo Mixed zebra and white display Save the Little Fish demo · 7 fish, 3 kinds

Demo Xingu pleco display Save the Little Fish demo · 7 fish, 2 kinds

From keepers

Two males, four females. The dominant male holds the end cave and fans the eggs for about a week.
Save the Little Fish demo, keeping 6 in Zebra pleco breeding tank Demo

Zebras keep to the rock work.
Save the Little Fish demo, keeping 3 in Mixed zebra and white display Demo

Our zebras took a year to settle, then spawned in the back cave every few months.
Save the Little Fish demo, keeping 4 in Xingu pleco display Demo

Questions keepers ask

How big does a Zebra L046 get?

About 8 cm (3.1 in) as an adult.

What temperature does a Zebra L046 need?

26–30 °C (79–86 °F).

What pH does a Zebra L046 need?

pH 6–7.5.

Is the Zebra L046 aggressive?

No. It is peaceful with fish that suit the same water.

What does a Zebra L046 eat?

In the wild it grazes on algae, detritus and tiny animals. In the aquarium feed mostly meaty foods: frozen bloodworm, brine shrimp and quality sinking pellets, with the odd vegetable.

Where does the Zebra L046 come from?

Volta Grande of the Rio Xingu, Brazil.

What fish can live with a Zebra L046?

Good tank mates include Candy stripe (L015), Leopard frog (L134), Agassiz's dwarf cichlid, Boeseman's rainbowfish, Bolivian ram.

All the numbers

Temperature min (°C)	26	Sourced
Temperature max (°C)	30	Sourced
pH min	6	Sourced
pH max	7.5	Sourced
Adult size (cm)	8	Sourced
Flow	High	Sourced
Habitat	rapids	Sourced
Temperament	Peaceful	Sourced
Diet	Omnivore	Sourced
Breeding difficulty	Moderate, slow	Sourced
Availability in Canada	occasional	Estimate
Typical price min (CAD)	150	Estimate
Typical price max (CAD)	500	Estimate

Some values are estimates from typical hobby ranges and haven't been checked against a source yet.