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.
