The Suckermouth Catfish (Hypostomus plecostomus) is also called the Common Pleco. It is a tropical fish from South America.
The Suckermouth Catfish has a sucker-like mouth which enables it to stick to smooth surfaces (like a suction cap). It is dark-coloured, usually dark-grey, with extensive mottling. It has a large top sailfish.
Suckermouth Catfish
It can grow to about 50 centimetres (20 inches) long.
The Suckermouth Catfish is omnivorous, feeding on algae, aquatic plants, and crabs. It is a bottom-feeder, feeding on the bottom of the ocean, along the sand. It is nocturnal, because it is active at night.
It is also called the Janitor Fish because it cleans algae from surfaces (including from the glass sides of an aquarium).
Suckermouth Catfish
Suckermouth Catfish
Photographer: Martina Nicolls
Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM