Category:Otocinclus

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Otocinclus vittatus

About Otocinclus

Otocinclus or Otos for short, are a small non-aggressive algae eating catfish about 3-5cm (1.2-2") long.

Alternative names

Dwarf Oto, Dwarf Suckers. Pronounced "auto SINK luss"

Species

There are a number of species in this genus.

Otocinclus macrospilus - The most common species found in the pet shop.
Otocinclus affinis - Most web sites misidentify this species with O. macrospilus. This is has now been renamed Macrotocinclus affinis.
Otocinclus vittatus
Otocinclus cocama
Otocinclus flexilis
Otocinclus hoppei
Otocinclus mariae
Otocinclus vestitus
Otocinclus huaorani
Otocinclus bororo
Otocinclus xakriaba
Otocinclus mura
Otocinclus mimulus
Otocinclus hasemani
Otocinclus caxaxari
Otocinclus tapirape
Otocinclus batmani
Otocinclus mangaba

Paraotocinclus

There are also species that go by the name Paraotocinclus (for example, the PitBull pleco), and can be mislabelled as Otocinclus when young. They are different from Otocinclus in that the Paraotocinclus have an adipose fin, whereas the Otocinclus do not.

Diet

Herbivores with a preference for eating algae. Feed them zucchini (courgette) or spinach if there isn't enough algae in their tank. Some fish will also accept algae wafers.

Lifespan

Otocinclus have a lifespan of 3-5 years. Most Otocinclus kept in captivity live an average of 3 years.^[1]

Behaviour

Being small herbivores they need to eat constantly. So they spend most of their time on the glass or on plant leaves using their sucker mouth to hold on. They are very placid animals that like to be in a group of at least 3 or more.

They have been known to be a small threat to slow-moving and high-backed fish such as the Discus and Angelfish. As with many suckermouth catfish, they can develop a taste for slime coats, which are often found on slow and high-backed fish.

Requirements

They prefer a well planted tank, preferably with large smooth vertical surfaces to hold onto such as slate and broad-leaved plants.

Videos

Many of the Otocinclus found in stores are wild caught. See the video below of Otos being wild caught in Venezuela. Only a small percentage of these fish will survive to make it to tanks in stores in the West.