L201 SNOWBALL

The L201 Snowball Pleco (Hypancistrus sp.), also known as the Orinoco Angel Pleco, is a member of the Loricariidae family of South American suckermouth catfishes.  Its black body with large white polka dots makes it a very striking fish for the planted or nano aquarium.

A generally peaceful and hardy species, the Snowball Pleco is an excellent, undemanding candidate for most aquariums.  Unlike the widely-seen Common Pleco (Hypostomus plecostomus) and Trinidad Pleco (Hypostomus punctatus), which easily reach a monstrous size of 18 to 20+ inches (45 to 51+ cm), the Snowball Pleco grows to a size of only 5.5 to 6.3 inches (14 to 16 cm).  This smaller size makes for a much more manageable (and less messy) pleco that can thrive permanently in a well-maintained aquarium as small as 40 gallons.  Male plecos may be somewhat territorial with other males of their species, but disputes can usually be diffused by providing ample territory and hiding places for each fish