Gold Marble Ancistrus Care Guide
Ancistrus claro is a small bristlenose from rocky streams of the upper Paraguay drainage in Brazil, peaceful and diurnally active.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Ancistrus claro, known in the hobby as LDA 008, is a small armoured catfish of the family Loricariidae. FishBase gives a maximum size of about 6.6 cm standard length, making it one of the smaller bristlenose species. It is a bottom-dwelling, facultative air-breathing fish.
Taxonomy
- Family: Loricariidae
- Genus: Ancistrus
- Scientific name: Ancistrus claro
- Order: Siluriformes
Habitat
Seriously Fish records the type locality as the rios Claro and Coxipo in the upper rio Cuiaba drainage of Mato Grosso, Brazil, while FishBase places it in the Cuiaba River basin within the upper Paraguay drainage. It inhabits flowing streams with substrates of boulders and bedrock.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 100 L
- Temperature: 24-28 °C (75-82 °F)
- pH: 6.0-7.5
- GH: 2-12 °dGH
- Lifespan: 8-12 years
- Decor: driftwood, caves and rocky refuges with good flow
Diet
An omnivore. Seriously Fish reports that captive specimens do well on sinking dried foods, frozen Daphnia, mosquito larvae, bloodworm and prawn, supplemented with fresh fruit and parboiled potato.
Compatibility
Seriously Fish describes it as a peaceful, diurnally active species that can be kept in a well-chosen community. It is somewhat territorial toward conspecifics, though several may coexist in a well-structured tank; small characins and Corydoras are suitable companions, while territorial plecos should be avoided.
Breeding
Like other Ancistrus it is a cave-spawner with male brood care, and juveniles may appear naturally in mature setups (Seriously Fish). Males develop odontodes on the pectoral fins and opercles plus head tentacles, which females lack.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern, assessed 2018 (per FishBase).
Ancistrus claro Breeding Guide
Overview
Ancistrus claro is a smaller bristlenose pleco reaching about 6.6 cm standard length, endemic to the Cuiaba River basin in Brazil and listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. It is a cave-spawning loricariid in which the male guards the brood. Species-specific captive accounts are limited, so the well-documented breeding biology of the genus Ancistrus is the most reliable guide here.
Sexing
In Ancistrus, adult males develop fleshy tentacles on the head and evertible cheek odontodes, while females lack head tentacles or show only small ones along the snout margin (Wikipedia on Ancistrus). This makes mature fish straightforward to sex; specific descriptions for this species are limited.
Breeding Setup
- A tank with driftwood and several cave or tube spawning sites
- Clean, well-oxygenated freshwater with good circulation
- Moderately soft to neutral water suiting a wild-type Ancistrus
- Cover for territorial males to reduce conflict
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
Genus-level data indicate that breeding takes place in hollows and caves: the male cleans the site, courts the female by expanding his fins and escorting her to the nest, and she deposits an adhesive clutch (roughly 20-200 eggs) on the cavity ceiling. The female then plays no role in parental care; the male takes over. A large water change is the usual stimulus across the genus.
Egg & Fry Care
The male cleans the eggs and cavity, removes diseased or infertile eggs, and aerates the clutch by fanning with his pectoral and pelvic fins. Eggs hatch in about 4-10 days, the male guards for roughly 7-10 days after hatching, and fry absorb their yolk sacs in 2-4 days before becoming free-swimming and grazing on biofilm and fine foods.