Giant White Spot Pleco

About

Found in the Paraná, Paraguay, and Uruguay river systems of southern South America, Hypostomus regani is a robust, large-bodied plecostomus that grows well past a foot in length at maturity. Like other members of its genus, it has the ability to breathe air facultatively, which speaks to just how adaptable these fish are in the wild and helps explain why they handle aquarium life with remarkable resilience. Despite being tagged as a beginner-friendly species, the size this fish ultimately reaches means you need to plan ahead from day one. A roomy tank is a necessity, not an option. Temperament-wise, it gets along reasonably well with larger characins, cyprinids, peaceful cichlids, and other catfish, but it draws a hard line when it comes to other similarly-sized bottom dwellers. It becomes noticeably territorial with any fish competing for the same floor space, and especially combative toward its own kind. If you want to keep multiple large catfish together, you really do need a very spacious setup with plenty of broken sightlines. Breeding has not been documented in captivity as far as the hobby is aware. This is a durable, no-nonsense pleco for hobbyists who have the space to accommodate something genuinely large.