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L174 has now been described by Sousa, L. M. de., Sousa, E. B. de., Ribeiro, R. de O., Sabaj, M. H., Zuanon, J., & Py-Daniel, L. R. 2025. Habitat: It has a very limited distribution, and is only known from a few deep water pools downstream from Altamira, Rio Xingu, Brazil. Description: Can be identified by the overall spots and blotches weaving into a reticulated pattern. Similar to the Panaque/Panaqolus and Peckoltia genera but have fewer and larger teeth in the lower and upper jaw. Sexual Differences: Males posses a broader and longer head and odontodes on the posterior part of the body, behind the gill covers and on the pectoral fin spines. The latter two are a lot shorter in the females. Aquarium Care: No problem with keeping in groups but only one Hypancistrus species to a tank as there has been reports of hybridisation. Diet: Omnivores, juveniles are keen on vegetable foods whereas adults are less so. Frozen foods such as brine shrimp, mosquito larvae and mussels as well as tablet foods. Etymology: The specific name yudja: Named after the Yudjá (also known as Juruna), a group of indigenous people from Volta Grande do Xingu. In the Tupi language, Yudjá means “the river owners”. This ethnic group has an intimate relationship with the Xingu, being pioneers in navigation on the turbulent, rocky-bottomed waters of this river. Hypancistrus yudja is restricted to the Yudjá territory and was a source of income for the indigenous ornamental fishermen who dove below 15m to catch specimens for the aquarium trade. Both the Yudjá people and H. yudja are struggling to survive the environmental impacts of the Belo Monte Hydroelectric Complex on Volta Grande do Xingu, and their fate is connected and deeply threatened. Remarks: This is one of the smaller species in this genera and there is, at the moment, a ban on the export of this species to the hobby so it would need to be kept by L-number specialists with the intention of propagating them.

L174, Ozelot Pleco

None

Loricariidae

Brazil: Pará, Rio Xingu (Altamira-Belo Monte).

8.0cm. (3¼ins)

26-30°c (79-87°f.)

6.0-7.2.

Catfish Codex
Seidel, I. 2008. Back to Nature guide to L-catfishes, Ettlingen, Germany 208 p.
Sousa, L. M. de ., Sousa, E. B. de ., Ribeiro, R. de O., Sabaj, M. H., Zuanon, J., & Py-Daniel, L. R. (2025). Two new species of Hypancistrus (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) from the rio Xingu, Amazon, Brazil. Neotropical Ichthyology, 23(1), e240080.