Chocolate Zebra Pleco (Hypancistrus debilittera) L129

Common Name: Chocolate Zebra Pleco
Scientific Name: Hypancistrus debilittera, L129
Origin: South America: Rio Bito, tributary of the Rio Orinoco, upstream of Puerto Careño, Colombia
Description: A rather yellowish-hued fish, the former is a medium sized hypancistrus with a generic body structure. It has a larger head and stouter body compared to the king tiger hypancistrus, but otherwise very similar body proportions to L-270. 270 often has thicker lines in it's body patterning, but morphologically, the main differences between the two are eye size and location (the larger eyes of debiliterra are found facing somewhat more anteriorly on the face), and the length of the caudal fin (more classically elongated in debiliterra).
Requirements: Prefers a dimly lit tank with a good number of hiding places, either created with plants, drift wood, rocks or artificial (pleco spawning) caves. To keep more than one specimen in the same tank, or together with other bottom dwelling fish a large aquarium is required.
Size: Up to 3.9 - 4.3 Inches (10-11cm)
Suitability: INTERMEDIATE
Feeding: An Omnivore that leans towards a meatier diet, sothe main diet should consist of meaty foods: frozen foods (tubifex, mosquito larvae, blood worms, artemia), dry foods (freeze-dried foods, flakes, granules), carnivore sinking pellets, and occasionally some small pieces of shrimp, mussels or fish fillet are usually readily accepted. Once acclimatized, it will often also accept vegetable matter such as algae/spirulina disks and fresh vegetables (lettuce, zucchini/courgette, eggplant/aubergine, capsicum, carrot, peas, preboiled spinach).
This species usually does not eat algae (it lacks suitable teeth for that task)
Compatibilty: This fish can be quite territorial, and when suitable hiding places are lacking, it can be aggressive towards other bottom dwellers. It is recommended to keep this species in a group in a species tank.