From the Guyana states (French Guiana, Guyana and Surinam) there are for various reasons hardly any commercial ornamental fish exports. The ornamental fish originating there, e.g. the glow-light tetra, are therefore practically exclusively traded as bred specimens. This is also true for Ancistrus leucostictus, which was brought back from a tributary of the Mazaruni River near its confluence with the Essequibo River by traveling aquarists in 2000.
In the same year the breeding of the comparatively small species (10-12 cm total length, the bristle-bearing males on the photos are about 6 cm long) succeeded and since then the animal is maintained and bred in aquaria. Also our specimens are German offspring. Usually, this bristlenose catfish shows up with uniformly black basic coloring and white points. Excited specimens (in our pictures slightly annoyed by the obtrusive photographer) show bright zones and a pattern in the form of a lying 8 on the front back. These patterns disappear when the animals dream away the day in their favourite hiding place…
For our customers: the animals have code 204452 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
