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No federal permit to keepLyre-tail Pleco
Acanthicus hystrix
Fishes › Catfish (Siluriformes) › Loricariidae (Plecos)
Acanthicus hystrix, the lyre-tail pleco, is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Loricariidae, the suckermouth armoured catfishes, and the subfamily Hypostominae, the suckermouth catfishes.
Care at a glance
Species-specific aquarium care
- Tank: At least 84 in long and 42 in front to back for one adult (adults commonly reach about 20.9 in / 53 cm).
- Water: Freshwater.
- Temperature: 72–81°F (range recorded for this species).
- Layout: Lives on or near the bottom: floor space and hiding places matter more than height.
- Availability: Mostly kept by public aquariums; private keeping is uncommon.
Calculated from this species' own FishBase record: tank size from its typical adult length and swimming zone, water values from its recorded ranges. The group guide below fills in general care.
Care guide
Species care notes
- Tank: a base of at least 236 × 79 in (roughly 6341 US gallons); space needed is rated “very large tank”.
- Water: a fairly wide range, from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline, 73–86 °F, pH 6–7.5, 2–12 dGH.
- Behaviour: temperament territorial; kept alone.
- Difficulty: Moderate (Seriously Fish rating).
Short excerpts from the species profile:
- Setup: “Prefers dim lighting and access to refuges in the form of driftwood, large rocks or lengths of plastic piping.”
- Diet: “This species is a generalised detrivore, so offer a varied diet comprising dried, frozen and live foods including sinking tablets, wafers, slices of fruit and vegetables plus meatier fare such as bloodworm, earthworms, prawns, cockles and lancefish.”
- Tankmates: “Juveniles tend to be quite peaceful but become more territorial and aggressive as they mature, meaning adults should be maintained singly and unless the aquarium is of public aquaria magnitude, in the absence of other substrate-dwellers.”
- Breeding: “Appears not to have been achieved in captivity thus far.”
From the Seriously Fish profile for this species, which has the full habitat, maintenance, diet, behaviour and breeding write-up 167
Plecos (suckermouth catfish)
Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: South American rivers. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.
Housing & setup
- Driftwood (some species rasp it for fiber), caves and good flow.
- Common plecos reach 18–24 in; many smaller species stay under 6 in.
Diet
- Algae wafers and vegetables for herbivores; meaty foods for carnivorous species.
Health watch
- Starvation if they're expected to live on algae alone.
Understanding the animal
About this animal
About this animal
This species is found in South America.
Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Acanthicus hystrix” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174
In the wild
In the wild
From this species’ own FishBase record (habitat, bottom type, water and breeding data), not its family. Good care copies these conditions.1
| Where it lives | Lives in freshwater. Stays near the bottom. |
| Water it lives in | Freshwater, 72–81 °F (22–27 °C). |
| Climate | Tropical climate. |
What this means for care
- Keep water within its wild range, 72–81 °F.
Native climate (measured)
Native climate (measured)
| Warm-season highs | about 91°F (up to 94°F in the hottest sampled areas) |
| Cool-season lows | about 69°F (down to 64°F in the coldest sampled areas) |
| Average temperature | 78–81°F across sampled records |
| Relative humidity | 77–83% on average (driest month about 75%) |
| Rainfall | about 2156 mm a year |
Measured at 33 wild occurrence records sampled against WorldClim 2.1 climate data (1970–2000 averages). Air conditions in the range are ecological context, not enclosure settings: microhabitats such as burrows, leaf litter or basking rocks can be cooler, warmer or more humid.
From the sources
From the sources
Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.
| Overview | Acanthicus hystrix, the lyre-tail pleco, is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Loricariidae, the suckermouth armoured catfishes, and the subfamily Hypostominae, the suckermouth catfishes. This species is found in South America. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Where it lives | Home ranges Population dynamics Growth parameters Max. ages / sizes Length-weight rel. Length-frequencies Mass conversion Recruitment Abundance Life cycle Reproduction Maturity Maturity/Gills rel. — FishBase |
| Appearance and size | Acanthicus hystrix grows to 62.8 cm in standard length, but may possibly reach 100 cm. Its color ranges from medium-brown to near-black (especially those from the Madeira, Branco and Xingu rivers are dark), and the underparts often have a vermiculated pattern. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Biology | Reported to reach 70 cm TL. — FishBase |
| History and naming | Acanthicus hystrix was first formally described in 1829 by the naturalists Johann Baptist von Spix and Louis Agassiz with its type locality given as the Amazon River. When the species was described Agassiz proposed the new monospecific genus Acanthicus, so this species is the type species of that genus by monotypy. A second species, A. adonis was added in 1988 by Isbrücker and Han Nijssen. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
Data and studies
The numbers
The numbers
Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.
Adult length
Maximum recorded length. Measured as standard length (snout to the base of the tail, not counting the tail fin). Fish in home aquariums often stay smaller than wild records.
Water temperature
Range the species tolerates in nature; aim for the middle.
pH
Water hardness
Minimum tank footprint
Seriously Fish recommends a tank base of at least 236 × 79 in (about 6341 US gallons).
Sources for this sheet
- FishBase (Froese & Pauly, eds.), version 24.07 Peer-reviewed researchThe global scientific database on fishes, maintained by a consortium of research institutions; every value is referenced.
- Seriously Fish species profiles Experienced keeper or breederLong-running aquarium reference written and peer-checked by experienced fishkeepers and ichthyologists; each profile covers habitat, tank size, water, diet, behaviour and breeding.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Management of aquarium fish Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Types and features of aquatic systems Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Nutritional diseases of fish Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
- Seriously Fish — Ancistrus sp. “3” / common bristlenose identification Zoo, university or veterinaryAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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