Genus · Plecos

Hypostomus

Hypostomus is a genus with 157 species in this atlas, catalogued in the Plecos section, recorded from Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and 13 more countries. Adult sizes run from 1.5 in to 27.5 in. Every species below links to a full researched profile.

Species in atlas: 157
Adult sizes: 1.5–27.5 in
IUCN assessed: 156 of 157 · 8 threatened
Recorded from: 16 countries

About the genus

Hypostomus is one of the largest genera of suckermouth armored catfish in the family Loricariidae, the plecos familiar to nearly every aquarium keeper. These are heavy-bodied, bony-plated bottom dwellers with a ventral sucker mouth used to graze algae, biofilm and soft plant material off rocks, wood and riverbank vegetation. The atlas covers 157 species distributed across South America, concentrated in Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Suriname, Colombia, Uruguay, Venezuela and Bolivia, essentially the Amazon, Parana-Paraguay and Orinoco drainages plus the smaller coastal rivers of eastern Brazil. Size varies enormously within the genus, from compact species around 1.5 in to giants pushing 27.5 in, and that range shows up directly in how differently individual species need to be kept.

Hypostomus supplies some of the aquarium hobby's most familiar 'common pleco' type fish, sold for algae control in tanks far larger than many buyers expect once a juvenile a few centimetres long grows into an adult that can exceed half a metre. Species like the Argus Pleco (H. argus), Mandarin Pleco (H. asperatus) and the boldly patterned Basilisk Pleco (H. basilisko) are traded under aquarium names that rarely make the eventual adult size obvious. As nocturnal, wood- and rock-dwelling omnivores, most do best with driftwood to rasp, hiding places, and a tank sized for their adult rather than juvenile dimensions. Formal conservation concern is limited so far, with the IUCN tally dominated by Least Concern and unassessed species, though that likely reflects patchy survey coverage across such a large genus as much as genuine security.

IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered · 1 Endangered · 3 Vulnerable · 4 Near Threatened · 4 Least Concern · 89 Data Deficient · 19 Not Evaluated · 36

The 157 species

Every Hypostomus recorded in this atlas. Each card links to a full researched profile — distribution, water parameters, and aquarium care, cited to primary sources.

Hypostomus affinis

(Steindachner, 1877)

Paraíba Pleco, Paraíba do Sul Pleco

15.5 in SL · LC

Hypostomus ancistroides

(Ihering, 1911)

Cascudo, Cascudo pintado, Cascudo bugio

8.5 in TL · LC

Hypostomus angipinnatus

(Leege, 1922)

6 in SL · DD

Hypostomus annectens

(Regan, 1904)

Guacuco

11 in TL · VU

Hypostomus arecuta

Cardoso, Almirón, Casciotta, Aichino, Lizarralde & Montoya-Burgos, 2012

9.5 in SL · NE

Hypostomus argus

(Fowler, 1943)

Argus Pleco

4.5 in SL · LC

Hypostomus asperatus

Castelnau, 1855

Mandarin Pleco

9 in SL · DD

Hypostomus aspidolepis

(Günther, 1867)

Panama suckermouth

15.5 in SL · LC

Hypostomus aspilogaster

(Cope, 1894)

Jacuhy Pleco

10.5 in SL · LC

Hypostomus atropinnis

(Eigenmann & Eigenmann, 1890)

8.5 in TL · DD

Hypostomus auroguttatus

Kner, 1854

Gold Speckled Pleco, LDA035, Gold-Spotted Pleco

LDA035 · 11.5 in SL · LC

Hypostomus basilisko

Tencatt, Zawadzki & Froehlich, 2014

Basilisk Pleco, Red Bruno

8 in SL

10 in SL · NE

Hypostomus boulengeri

(Eigenmann & Kennedy, 1903)

Boulenger's Pleco, Paraguay Pleco

9.5 in SL · LC

5 in SL · NE

Hypostomus carinatus

(Steindachner, 1881)

Blackspotted Orange Pleco, L166

L166 · 10 in SL · LC

Hypostomus caudofasciatus

Zawadzki & Azevedo, 2024

6.5 in SL · NE

Hypostomus chrysostiktos

Birindelli, Zanata & Lima, 2007

Gold-spotted Pleco

10 in SL · LC

Hypostomus cochliodon

Kner, 1854

Cochliodon Pleco, Apricot Pleco, LDA051

L310 · 9 in SL · LC

Hypostomus commersoni

Valenciennes, 1836

Commerson's Pleco, Cascudo, Common Pleco (La Plata)

24 in TL · LC

Hypostomus coppenamensis

Boeseman, 1969

Blackspotted Suriname Pleco

5 in SL · NT

12 in TL · NE

L037 · 8 in SL · LC

3.5 in SL · NE

Hypostomus francisci

(Lütken, 1874)

São Francisco Cascudo, Cascudo, Francis Pleco

14 in SL · LC

Hypostomus freirei

Penido, Pessali & Zawadzki, 2021

Freire's Pleco

8 in SL · NE

Hypostomus froehlichi

Zawadzki, Nardi & Tencatt, 2021

Froehlich's Pleco, Formoso Pleco

9.5 in SL · NE

Hypostomus fuscomaculatus

Zawadzki & Pains da Silva, 2022

L233, LDA009, Eye-spot Pleco

L233 · 12 in TL · NE

10.5 in SL · LC

Hypostomus hemicochliodon

Armbruster, 2003

14.5 in TL · LC

Hypostomus hemiurus

(Eigenmann, 1912)

Half-tailed Pleco

8 in SL · LC

Hypostomus heraldoi

Zawadzki, Weber & Pavanelli, 2008

9.5 in SL · LC

Hypostomus hermanni

(Ihering, 1905)

Hermann's Pleco, Cascudo de Hermann, Cascudo comum

9.5 in TL · LC

Hypostomus holostictus

(Regan, 1913)

7 in TL · LC

Hypostomus hondae

(Regan, 1912)

Honda pleco, Magdalena suckermouth

12.5 in TL · NE

Hypostomus hoplonites

Rapp Py-Daniel, 1988

13 in SL · LC

Hypostomus iheringii

(Regan, 1908)

Ihering's Pleco

4.5 in SL · LC

Hypostomus interruptus

(Miranda Ribeiro, 1918)

Banded Pleco, Ribeira Pleco

4.5 in SL · LC

7 in SL · LC

Hypostomus johnii

(Steindachner, 1877)

Eptingi pleco

6 in SL · DD

Hypostomus khimaera

Tencatt, Zawadzki & Froehlich, 2014

6.5 in SL · NE

Hypostomus kopeyaka

Carvalho, Lima & Zawadzki, 2010

Kopeyaka Pleco, Tiquié Pleco

9 in SL · LC

8.5 in SL · LC

15.5 in TL · NE

Hypostomus latifrons

Weber, 1986

Paraguay Pleco, L051, L281

L051 · 11.5 in SL · LC

7.5 in SL · DD

11 in SL · LC

Hypostomus luteus

(Godoy, 1980)

Golden Pleco, Golden Sailfin Pleco, Yellow Pleco

12 in SL · LC

Hypostomus macrophthalmus

Boeseman, 1968

3 in SL · EN

Hypostomus macrops

(Eigenmann & Eigenmann, 1888)

Large-eye pleco, BigEye hypostomus

11 in SL · NE

Hypostomus macushi

Armbruster & de Souza, 2005

L303, Red Pepper Pleco

L303 · 6.5 in SL · LC

Hypostomus maracaiboensis

(Schultz, 1944)

Maracaibo Pleco

11 in TL · LC

Hypostomus margaritifer

(Regan, 1908)

Yellow-spotted Hypostomus, Pearl Hypostomus, Cascudo pintado

15.5 in TL · LC

Hypostomus melanephelis

Zawadzki, C. Oliveira, R.R. Oliveira & Py-Daniel, 2015

7 in SL · NE

Hypostomus meleagris

(Marini, Nichols & La Monte, 1933)

Spotted Pleco, Guinea Fowl Pleco

12 in SL · DD

Hypostomus micromaculatus

Boeseman, 1968

Stone-sucker Pleco

7.5 in SL · NT

Hypostomus microstomus

(Weber, 1987)

9.5 in SL · LC

Hypostomus minotauros

Zawadzki, Penido, Pessali & Lucinda, 2024

Minotaur Pleco

5 in SL · NE

Hypostomus multidens

Jerep, Shibatta & Zawadzki, 2007

Many-toothed Pleco

8 in SL · LC

Hypostomus mutucae

(Knaack, 1999)

Mutuca Pleco, LDA010

LDA010 · 4.5 in SL · LC

Hypostomus myersi

(Gosline, 1947)

8 in SL · LC

Hypostomus nematopterus

Isbrücker & Nijssen, 1984

Thread-finned Pleco, L060

L060 · 4 in SL · EN

Hypostomus niceforoi

(Fowler, 1943)

Niceforo's pleco

12 in TL · NE

Hypostomus nigrolineatus

Zawadzki, Carvalho, Birindelli & Azevedo, 2016

8.5 in SL · NE

Hypostomus nigromaculatus

(Schubart, 1964)

LDA012, Dot Pleco, Black-spotted Pleco

LDA012 · 4 in SL · LC

Hypostomus nigropunctatus

Garavello, Britski & Zawadzki, 2012

Black-spotted Cascudo

9 in SL · LC

Hypostomus obtusirostris

(Steindachner, 1907)

2.5 in TL · DD

Hypostomus oculeus

(Fowler, 1943)

Oculeus Pleco, Eyed Pleco

8.5 in SL · DD

Hypostomus pagei

Armbruster, 2003

7.5 in SL · VU

Hypostomus pantherinus

(Kner, 1854)

Panther Pleco, Leopard Pleco, Cascudo-onça

12 in TL · LC

4.5 in SL · LC

Hypostomus paucipunctatus

Hollanda Carvalho & Weber, 2005

7.5 in SL · LC

Hypostomus paulinus

(Ihering, 1905)

Paulista Pleco, Cascudo

7 in SL · LC

Hypostomus peckoltoides

Zawadzki, Weber & Pavanelli, 2010

L390

L390 · 4.5 in SL · LC

Hypostomus perdido

Zawadzki, Tencatt & Froehlich, 2014

7 in SL · LC

Hypostomus piratatu

Weber, 1986

Piratatu Pleco

11 in SL · LC

Hypostomus plecostomoides

(Eigenmann, 1922)

Brown Pleco, LDA038, LDA042

LDA038 · 10 in SL · LC

Hypostomus plecostomus

Linnaeus, 1758

Common pleco, Suckermouth catfish, Plecostomus

19.5 in SL · LC

Hypostomus pseudohemiurus

Boeseman, 1968

2.5 in SL · LC

Hypostomus punctatus

Valenciennes, 1840

Spotted pleco, Spotted hypostomus, Common pleco (misapplied)

12 in TL · LC

Hypostomus pusarum

(Starks, 1913)

Jaguribe Pleco, Pumpkin Pleco, Orange Pleco

8 in TL · LC

Hypostomus pyrineusi

(Miranda Ribeiro, 1920)

Madeira Pleco

10 in TL · LC

Hypostomus regani

(Ihering, 1905)

Giant White Spot Pleco, Regan's Pleco, Cascudo-barata

16 in SL · LC

Hypostomus renestoi

Zawadzki, da Silva & Troy, 2018

5 in SL · NE

Hypostomus rhantos

Armbruster, Tansey & Lujan, 2007

L242, Coffee Ground Pleco

L242 · 7.5 in SL · LC

Hypostomus robertsoni

Dias & Zawadzki, 2021

5.5 in SL · NE

Hypostomus robinii

Valenciennes, 1840

Teta, Trinidad Pleco

11 in SL · LC

Hypostomus rondoni

(Miranda Ribeiro, 1912)

3 in TL · LC

Hypostomus roseopunctatus

Reis, Weber & Malabarba, 1990

Rose Common Pleco, Cascudo-de-pintas-rosa

9 in SL · LC

10.5 in SL · LC

L137 · 6.5 in SL · LC

Hypostomus spiniger

Hensel, 1870

Spiniger Pleco

11 in SL · NE

Hypostomus strigaticeps

(Regan, 1908)

Cascudo Pintado, Striped-head Pleco

6.5 in SL · LC

Hypostomus subcarinatus

Castelnau, 1855

12.5 in SL · DD

Hypostomus taphorni

Lilyestrom, 1986

Taphornâ€™s pleco, Venezuelan Andean pleco

10 in SL · NE

13.5 in TL · LC

11 in SL · NE

Hypostomus uruguayensis

Reis, Weber & Malabarba, 1990

Vieja, Cascudo

13.5 in TL · LC

5.5 in SL · LC

Hypostomus velhomonge

Lustosa-Costa, Ramos, Zawadzki & Lima, 2022

Old Monk Pleco

L078 · 5 in SL · NE

17.5 in SL · LC

Hypostomus weberi

Carvalho, Lima & Zawadzki, 2010

L167, Weber's Pleco

L167 · 12 in SL · LC

Hypostomus wilsoni

(Eigenmann, 1918)

13 in TL · VU

Hypostomus wuchereri

(Günther, 1864)

Wucherer's Pleco, Bahia Pleco

14 in SL · DD

Hypostomus yaku

Martins, Langeani & Zawadzki, 2014

3 in SL · CR

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How to cite

Aquarist Atlas (2026). Genus Hypostomus. Aquarist Atlas. https://www.aquaristatlas.com/hypostomus/

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