Spotted Bristlenose Care Guide
Ancistrus dubius is a peaceful bristlenose catfish from the Amazon, Parana and Paraguay basins, a bottom-dwelling algae grazer for community tanks.
Overview
Ancistrus dubius is an armoured catfish of the family Loricariidae, one of the bristlenose plecos. FishBase gives a maximum size of about 12.6 cm standard length. Like its congeners it is a bottom-dwelling, facultative air-breathing fish.
Taxonomy
- Family: Loricariidae
- Genus: Ancistrus
- Scientific name: Ancistrus dubius
- Order: Siluriformes
Habitat
FishBase records the species from South America in the Amazon River basin and the middle Parana and Paraguay River basins. It is a demersal, tropical freshwater fish.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 150 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 shaded refuges
Diet
An omnivore. As with other Ancistrus, Seriously Fish recommends a varied captive diet of sinking dried foods, frozen Daphnia, mosquito and chironomid larvae and prawn, plus fresh vegetables, parboiled potato and Spirulina-containing preparations.
Compatibility
Seriously Fish describes the common bristlenose group as relatively peaceful but territorial toward conspecifics and similarly shaped species. As a bottom-dweller it suits peaceful community tanks with small characins and Corydoras, while other territorial plecos are best avoided.
Breeding
Ancistrus are cave-spawners in which the male guards the clutch and fry (Seriously Fish). Males develop odontodes on the pectoral fins and opercle plus head tentacles, while females lack these structures.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern, assessed 2020 (per FishBase).