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. We turn to Dr. Leandro Sousa’s August 2022 video presenting insights into the plight of the Zebra Plecostomus in its native habitat.
Freshwater Articles
VIDEO: Who discovered the Zebra Pleco?
With all the happenings this week surrounding CITES and proposals to uplist Hypancistrus zebra from Appendix III to Appendix I (which would most likely eliminate all international trade in the species), it seems highly fitting to share this Leandro Sousa’s interview with…
Brazil Shortsightedly Proposes Zebra Pleco for CITES Appendix I Listing
The 19th CoP occurs November 14-26, 2022, in Panama City, Panama. At this CoP, the government of Brazil has submitted a proposal to uplist H. zebra from the least restrictive CITES listing on Appendix III, to Appendix I, which is the most restrictive CITES listing. Some argue that the new proposals will lead to increased demand for illegally harvested and smuggled specimens of Zebra Pleco.
Surprise Encounter: Albino Firemouths at ADG
Lurking in the international fish trade for a few years, a new albino variation of the Firemouth Cichlid, Thorichthys meeki, has been spotted at Aquarium Design Group in Houston, Texas, and may represent the first time this variant has been available in the U.S.
OATA Joins Fellow Pet Trade Associations at CITES CoP19
On the agenda for the meeting, which looks at ways to ensure the sustainable trade in wildlife, are several items that would affect the global ornamental fish trade, including plans to move Zebra pleco (Hypancistrus zebra) from Appendix III to Appendix I – the highest level of restriction – and to put a number of freshwater stingray (Potamotrygon spp.) onto Appendix II.
Rare Ornamental Barramundi Variants Arrive in the US
Four interesting and unusual morphs including Golden, Tiger, Panda, and Sunshine Barramundi, have arrived in limited quantities at Quality Marine & Aquatropic. This is an ultimate monster fish keepers’ dream fish, growing up to four feet long, and can be kept in freshwater, brackish, or marine displays.
Conservationists release extinct-in-the-wild fish into natural habitat in Mexican river
With the help of local children, a team of conservationists has released more than 1,000 golden skiffia (Skiffia francesae), a freshwater fish found only in Mexico, into the species’ native range in the Teuchitlán River, Jalisco.
VIDEO – Wild-type Variatus Platies, In Situ, But Where?
Footage uploaded to YouTube by Xiphophorus.net in 2010 highlights a population of beautiful, polymorphic Variatus Platies. But is there more to the story?
AMAZONAS Interview: Lily Hwang – founder of freshwater species breeding database
Meet Lily Hwang, founder of Lily Ichthyology, a database for keeping track of freshwater species breeding efforts.
Skiffia francesae: Back from the Dead on Day of the Dead
More than two dozen years since the golden skiffia (Skiffia francesae) disappeared from its only natural habitat in Mexico, a team of conservationists will release the species back into the wild.