''Panaqolus maccus'', commonly called the clown panaque, clown plecostomus, clown pleco, or ringlet pleco, is a dwarf

loricariid The Loricariidae is the largest family of catfish (order Siluriformes), with 92 genera and just over 680 species. Loricariids originate from freshwater habitats of Costa Rica, Panama, and tropical and subtropical South America. These fish are not ...

. By numbering systems such as the

L-number The L-number system is a semi-scientific classification system of catfish based on photographs of shipments of tropical catfish of the family Loricariidae published by the German aquarium magazine DATZ (Die Aquarien- und Terrarienzeitschrift (The ...

system, this fish may also be known as L104, L162, or LDA22.

Distribution and habitat

This fish is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

where it is found in the tannic Apuré and

Caroní River The Caroní River is the second most important river of Venezuela, the second in flow, and one of the longest, from the Kukenan tepui through to its confluence with the Orinoco River. The name "Caroní" is applied starting from the confluence ...

basins. Their natural environment is driftwood tangles near riverbanks.

Description

This species is a small loricariid. It reaches a length of SL. This species has a striped pattern. However, this colouration may change with age. There are specimens with straight bars, but there are also specimens with a broken or wavy pattern. The wavy pattern form is found in the actual

Orinoco The Orinoco () is one of the longest rivers in South America at . Its drainage basin, sometimes known as the Orinoquia, covers , with 76.3 percent of it in Venezuela and the remainder in Colombia. It is the fourth largest river in the wor ...

and its tributaries in Bolivar State,

, while the "normal" patterned ''P. maccus'' comes from further north and west ( Cojedes, Portuguesa, Guarico, and

Apure State Apure State ( es, Estado Apure, ) is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. Its territory formed part of the provinces of Mérida, Maracaibo, and Barinas, in accordance with successive territorial ordinations pronounced by the colonial authori ...

s) in the

Llanos The Llanos (Spanish ''Los Llanos'', "The Plains"; ) is a vast tropical grassland plain situated to the east of the Andes in Colombia and Venezuela, in northwestern South America. It is an ecoregion of the tropical and subtropical grasslands, sav ...

where the drainages run into the

Apure River The Apure River is a river of southwestern Venezuela, formed by the confluence of the Sarare and Uribante near Guasdualito, in Venezuela, at , and flowing across the Llanos into the Orinoco. It provides significant transportation in the area. Orig ...

In the aquarium

''Panaqolus maccus'' is one of the most common species of small, striped loricariids available in the

fishkeeping Fishkeeping is a popular hobby, practiced by aquarists, concerned with keeping fish in a home aquarium or garden pond. There is also a piscicultural fishkeeping industry, serving as a branch of agriculture. Origins of fishkeeping Fish have ...

hobby. This species adapts well to aquarium life. They are not too difficult to spawn. It should always be provided with enough driftwood in the tank, as it is a wood-eating fish. However fresh vegetables, spirulina and frozen foods such as bloodworms are recommended to be given as well from time to time. They are very peaceful fish suited for the average community tank. They are a hardy species of catfish and can tolerate various water parameters but prefer softer, more acidic water. Good filtration is needed because of the large amounts of waste they produce, caused by their wood-based diet. It is suited for tanks starting from 15 gallons.

Breeding

It is difficult to successfully breed these fish in captivity. The tank setting and water parameters must be as near to their native habitat as possible. Seasonal changes can be simulated by adjusting the pH and temperature of the water. Soft driftwoods and cave formations give ample hiding places for the females to feel comfortable, and they may deposit eggs at some point.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3365166 Ancistrini Fish of Venezuela Endemic fauna of Venezuela Taxa named by Scott Allen Schaefer Taxa named by Donald J. Stewart Fish described in 1993