Animal Guide

Iquitos Tiger Pleco

1 destination · 1 state

Native Range: Upper Amazon Basin, especially around Iquitos, Peru

The Iquitos tiger pleco is a small armored catfish that becomes much more interesting when you watch it working its way around an aquarium. Its body is covered in protective bony plates, while dark and pale markings create a tiger-like pattern that helps give it its common name. Look near driftwood, rocks, and the bottom of the exhibit, where this pleco may cling to surfaces with its sucker-like mouth. That mouth is built for scraping and holding onto solid surfaces in flowing water, and the fish can use its strong grip to stay in place while searching for food. Rather than swimming constantly through open water, it often explores the aquarium inch by inch, moving between shaded spaces and patches of algae. Its barbels and sensitive mouth help it investigate what is around it, especially close to the substrate. A quiet pleco can be easy to overlook beside larger fish, but once you follow its slow movements across a piece of driftwood, the armored body, patterned fins, and specialized mouth become much easier to appreciate.

Where to see Iquitos Tiger Pleco

1 destination across 1 state

1 destination

New York Aquarium

Brooklyn, NY

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