RE: NANFA--OT: "Plecostomus" was "not thinking-long"

Hoover, Jan J ERDC-EL-MS (HOOVERJ_at_wes.army.mil)
Fri, 23 May 2003 10:42:58 -0500

Adama wrote:
>>>I am experimenting with a plecostamus in one of my
ornamental pools. I read somewhere that they can
withstand water temps down to 50<<<

Jan writes:
That seems pretty cold for a tropical fish. We see plecos (Hypostomus) and
sailfin catfishes (Pterygoplichthys)in the San Antonio River, but during the
winter only find them at sites that stay fairly warm (> 70 F). We collected
some this week - the plecos already spawned and we saw a lot of
young-of-year (20-40 mm) at a site where the January temp was 72 F and May
temp was 77 F. The sailfins apparently have not spawned yet but are gravid.
My guess is that both fish move into warm spring seeps when the water gets
too cold for them. Most of the aquarium literature I am familiar with
indicates a lower limit on temperature around 62-65 F.
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