Gold Spot Pleco (L001)

The gold spot pleco is one of the relatively small and most ornate members of the genus Pterygoplichthys. The dense, bright yellow spots covering its dark body shine like gold under light. The numbers L001 and L022 belong to the same species.

Adults are usually 30–35 cm; although some sources mention larger individuals, in the aquarium it rarely exceeds 35 cm. Even so, this is not a "community aquarium algae eater": it is a long-lived, large fish that produces a lot of waste. It has finer, denser spots than the similar-looking common pleco (P. pardalis) and leopard sailfin pleco.

It lives among fallen trees, roots and rocky hollows along the banks in slow- to moderately flowing sections of the Tocantins and Araguaia rivers. The fish spend the day under root tangles or in bank hollows and graze algae and biofilm from surfaces in the dark.

• Volume: At least 400 liters and 150 cm in length for one adult.
• Filter: A powerful canister filter or sump, with a 30–40% water change every week.
• Decor: Large roots and caves; it rasps on and uproots plants. Tough-leaved epiphytes hold up better.
• Water: 25–28°C; it adapts to a wide range of parameters.

Mainly herbivorous. Sinking wafers containing spirulina and vegetables, blanched zucchini, cucumber, spinach and peas should be the staple; bloodworms or shrimp can be added once a week. Rasping on wood aids its digestion. The algae in the aquarium alone is not enough.

It is peaceful toward other species. As it grows it becomes territorial toward its own kind and other plecos. It is nocturnal, but once settled it also comes out to feed during the day.

Good companions: Medium to large peaceful fish: large tetras, silver dollars, rainbowfish, Geophagus species, medium-sized cichlids.

Avoid: Small aquariums, slow, flat-bodied fish such as discus and angelfish (risk of slime-coat sucking), other large plecos (in a confined space).

In a home aquarium a single individual is kept. More than one individual can only be kept in a very large footprint, with a separate cave for each. If two individuals are kept together, the decor should be arranged to create two separate zones where they cannot see each other.

In the wild it breeds in bank hollows and tunnels. Breeding in the aquarium is very rare; commercial breeding is done in ponds.

Hardy. Insufficient space, dirty water and a fiber-poor diet are the main problems. A sunken belly is a sign of underfeeding. It is sensitive to copper.

Difficult to tell apart externally. In mature males the pectoral fin spines may be thicker and covered with odontodes.