VIDEO: Leandro Sousa on Zebra Pleco Conservation

17 Nov, 2022

From the video: the original distribution of Hypancistrus zebra, the Zebra Pleco, endemic to just 170 km (105 miles) of the Xingu River.
From the video: the original distribution of Hypancistrus zebra, the Zebra Pleco, endemic to just 170 km (105 miles) of the Xingu River.

The iconic Zebra Pleco, Hypancistrus zebra, is front and center in aquarium news as nations meet in Panama for the 19th Conference of Parties as part of CITES. Dr. Leandro Sousa, professor at Universidade Federal do Para, Altamira campus (and AMAZONAS contributor), has gone to great lengths to share insights into the ichthyofauna of the Rio Xingu, and we turn to his August 2020 video to present some insights into the plight of the Zebra Plecostomus in its native habitat. But before diving into the specifics of H. zebra, Sousa presents an excellent foundation of knowledge spanning the Rio Xingu and the diversity of habitats and associated species that reside there.

Facing up to an 80% reduction in flow as the result of the Belo Monte dam, the Volta Grande and the species that live there face a highly uncertain future; almost the entire habitat of Hypacistrus zebra is affected by the Belo Monte dam.

Learn about the conservation of the Zebra Pleco & its home, the Volta Grande do Xingu.

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Matt Pedersen

Matt Pedersen is a Sr. Editor and Associate Publisher with Reef To Rainforest Media, LLC & CORAL Magazines, and is a Sr. Editor and Publishing Partner with Aquatic Media Press, LLC & AMAZONAS Magazine. Matt has kept aquariums for 38 years, has worked in most facets of the aquarium trade, is an active aquarist and fish breeder (both marine and freshwater), and was recognized with the 2009 MASNA Award as the MASNA Aquarist of the Year.

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