Butterfly Plecostomus L168 (Dekeyseria Brachyura)
Butterfly Plecos are peaceful community fish that you should keep with other peaceful fish of a similar size. Suitable tankmates for these Plecos can include Cichlids such as Retroculus or the African Steatocranus and other Loricariids requiring similar conditions. You can also keep Butterfly Plecos with more general community fish as long as the water is well aerated.
The ideal aquarium setup for the Butterfly Plecos would be a biotope setup. However, this species prefers a spacious well-filtered aquarium with plenty of hiding places made up of flat rounded rocks, driftwood and caves. These Plecos usually don't harm live plants if they are adequately fed. This species also requires well-oxygenated water with a great degree of movement.
Butterfly Plecos bodies are fairly slender and are covered with alternating defined brownish-black and gold striping. This Pleco is a master of disguise as it can change colouration, chameleon-style, rapidly. If these fish are kept on a very dark or black substrate, they will go almost black, and if you keep them on a lighter substrate, they will show a pretty striped pattern during the day.
Photos
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Dekeyseria Brachyura |
| Other Names | Chameleon Pleco |
| Classification | Actinopterygii |
| Order | Siluriformes |
| Family | Loricariidae |
| Genus | Dekeyseria |
| Origins | Brazil |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Aquarium Level | Bottom |
| Difficulty | Beginner - Intermediate |
| Shoaling | No |
| Best kept as | Groups 5+ |
| Diet | Omnivore |
| Reproduction | Egg-Layer |
| Lifespan | 5 - 8 years |
| Water Parameters | |
|---|---|
| Water Type | Freshwater |
| PH | 5.5 - 7.0 |
| GH | 2 - 12 |
| Temperature | |
|---|---|
| 77 - 82℉ 25 - 27.8℃ | |
Natural Habitat
Feeding
In the home aquarium, the Butterfly Plecostomus L168 will readily accept most good quality dried foods such as granules, flakes and sinking pellets. These modern food products have been developed to provide all adequate nutrition to maintain your fish's health and dietary requirements.
Providing additional foodstuffs such as live, frozen, and freeze-dried meals such as bloodworm, daphnia, and tubifex once or twice a week will provide additional benefits to your fish's health and well-being but is not a must for this fish.
It should be noted that bloodworms should only be given as an occasional treat and should not be used as the staple diet as they are difficult for fish to digest and can potentially cause blockages.
This fish is an omnivore in the wild, meaning it will consume some vegetable matter. Although most modern fish foods take this into account and include them in their products, you can still supplement your fish's diet with blanched vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, and zucchini. Ensure you do not overfeed your fish and remove any leftovers the following day.
Sexual Dimorphism
It is relatively straightforward to distinguish the males from female Butterfly Plecos. Males are slightly slimmer than females and will develop noticeably larger odontodes on their snout, while mature females are broader in their mid-section than males.