Synonyms: None

Type Locality:

Size: 125mm SL

Identification: Mature males and sometimes females have soft tentacles (bushy fleshy growths) on the snout - this is unique to the genus Ancistrus. The common Bristlenose is commonly captive bred appears impossible to identify to species primarily due to a lack of original locality information but also because tens of undescribed congeners exist. It is not assigned to species here for that reason. It is sometimes thought to be a hybrid, however it is not easy to determine if it is so or not. Several man made variants exist: piebald, albino and long-fin (veiltail) varieties have been bred in a captivity.

General Remarks: This species was known as Ancistrus sp(3) in the Cat-eLog from February 1997 until August 2008, it will likely still commonly be referred to under this name for some time and even its current designation is a little tentative. For these reasons we've left "sp(3)" as a common name.

Feeding: It is thought that elements in bogwood, particularly lignin, may form an essential part of Bristlenose diet. Certainly they have the immensely long guts common to vegetarians, and although they fall avidly on the occasional meal of live food or prawns, the bulk of their diet must be composed of vegetable matter. If a high protein diet is fed constantly, then they will become prone to stomach disorders. Vegetable roughage keeps the gut in working order, and bogwood is a valuable addition to this.
Fry will feed from free-swimming on the same diet as parents. It may help to blanch vegetables when feeding young fry, as it helps them rasp off the food stuff.

Furniture: In the aquarium they prefer a strong water current with lots of oxygen, and require plenty of hiding places. Bogwood is ideal for this, as it is not only attractive to look at and provides plenty of shelter. Although they are vegetarian, they do not feed on water plants either naturally or in the aquarium, and your treasured collection of cryptocorynes will not only remain uneaten, but the Bristlenose will carefully and gently graze each leaf, removing any covering of algae that may form.

Compatibility: They are gentle and unassuming fish, and can be kept in community tanks with the most timid of inhabitants. Even tiny fry will be left unharmed once free-swimming.

Tankmates: All community fish, small to medium sized cichlids.

Registered Keepers: (1) Carolan (p: 2), (2) Tamcon83 (p: 3, k: 6).

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Sexing: Males have head tentacles, females do not.

Breeding: See catfish of the month article.

Breeding Reports: None.

See also the Ancistrus cf. cirrhosus page on PlanetCatfish.com.

Last Update: 2012-03-11 11:42:20 (species record created: 2001-04-26 00:00:00)