Genus · Plecos

Isbrueckerichthys

Isbrueckerichthys is a genus with 5 species in this atlas, catalogued in the Plecos section, recorded from Brazil. Adult sizes run from 3 in to 4 in. Every species below links to a full researched profile.

Species in atlas
5
Adult sizes
3–4 in
IUCN assessed
5 of 5 · 1 threatened
Recorded from
Brazil

About the genus

Isbrueckerichthys is a genus of small armored suckermouth catfishes (Loricariidae) endemic to Brazil, its name honoring the loricariid taxonomist Isaäc Isbrücker. The atlas covers 5 species, compact fish by pleco standards at roughly 3–4 in, including Isbrueckerichthys alipionis, Isbrueckerichthys calvus, Isbrueckerichthys duseni, Isbrueckerichthys epakmos, and Isbrueckerichthys saxicola. As with most loricariids of this size class, they are rheophilic algae- and biofilm-grazers, with a flattened, armor-plated body and a ventral sucker mouth adapted to holding position on rock and gravel in flowing water.

The genus attracts modest attention from specialist pleco keepers, who value its manageable adult size compared with many larger Loricariidae, along with its peaceful, algae-grazing temperament suited to a well-aerated, current-swept tank with driftwood and stone. It is not a mainstream aquarium fish, and most species reach hobbyists only sporadically through specialist importers. The atlas lists four species as Least Concern and one as Critically Endangered, a split that points to at least one narrow-range population under serious pressure even while the genus as a whole is not broadly threatened.

Isbrueckerichthys belongs to a cluster of small-bodied Brazilian loricariids whose taxonomy has been repeatedly revised as researchers compare skull and plate characters across similar genera, a reminder that species boundaries in this family are still being actively worked out.

IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered · 1 Least Concern · 4

The 5 species

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

(Gosline, 1947)

3 in SL · LC

Jerep, Shibatta, Pereira & Oyakawa, 2006

3.5 in SL · LC

(Miranda Ribeiro, 1907)

4 in SL · LC

Pereira & Oyakawa, 2003

4 in SL · LC

Jerep, Shibatta, Pereira & Oyakawa, 2006

3.5 in SL · CR

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How to cite

Aquarist Atlas (2026). Genus Isbrueckerichthys. Aquarist Atlas. https://www.aquaristatlas.com/isbrueckerichthys/

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