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Dwarf sucker catfish (Otocinclus vittatus) — Loricariidae

Dwarf sucker catfish

Otocinclus vittatus
Family: Loricariidae
LC · Least Concern

The Dwarf sucker catfish (Otocinclus vittatus) is a freshwater fish of the family Loricariidae that grows up to 3 cm.

Length
3.3 cm
Water
Freshwater
Diet
Herbivore
Behaviour
Schooling
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Range
Amazon and Paraguay basins in South America.
Edibility
Not eaten

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Description

The dwarf sucker catfish, called 'oto' in the aquarium trade, is a very small armoured catfish of the family Loricariidae from the Amazon and Paraguay basins in South America. The species reaches only about 3 cm and has a slender body with bony plates and a dark lateral stripe. On the belly it bears a sucker mouth with which it clings to plants and surfaces and grazes algae and aufwuchs. It lives in schools in vegetated, flowing waters. Owing to its usefulness as an algae eater the species is very popular in the planted aquarium.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Dwarf sucker catfish?

The Dwarf sucker catfish has an elongate, eel-like body, is mainly brown and shows a horizontal stripes pattern. Very small armoured suckermouth catfish; popular algae-eater that lives in shoals.

Where does the Dwarf sucker catfish live?

The Dwarf sucker catfish lives in fresh water and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom. Amazon and Paraguay basins in South America.

How big does the Dwarf sucker catfish get?

The Dwarf sucker catfish grows to a maximum of about 3 cm. On average the species is around 3 cm.

Is the Dwarf sucker catfish dangerous to humans?

No, the Dwarf sucker catfish is harmless to humans. None required: this species is harmless to humans.

Is the Dwarf sucker catfish edible?

The Dwarf sucker catfish is not usually eaten.

More photos

Dwarf sucker catfish (Otocinclus vittatus) — Loricariidae — 2
Mark Allen (CC0 1.0) via GBIF — NHMUK
Dwarf sucker catfish (Otocinclus vittatus) — Loricariidae — 3
Wikimedia Commons — Carl H. Eigenmann / Waldo Lee McAtee (Public domain)
Dwarf sucker catfish (Otocinclus vittatus) — Loricariidae — 4
Wikimedia Commons — No machine-readable author provided. Chle assumed (based on copyright claims). (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Dwarf sucker catfish (Otocinclus vittatus) — Loricariidae — 5
iNaturalist ((c) inzaenity, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC))
Fin

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All data

Identification

English name
Dwarf sucker catfish sourced
Scientific name
Otocinclus vittatus
Family
Loricariidae

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
3.3 verified
Average length (cm)
2.5 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Brown inferred
Pattern
Horizontal stripes inferred
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Mouth position
Inferior (downward) inferred
Lips
Thick / fleshy inferred
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous inferred
Dorsal spines
Yes sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Freshwater sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Natural range
Amazon and Paraguay basins in South America. inferred
Origin
Native sourced

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Herbivore sourced
Diet (detail)
Algae and aufwuchs scraped from plants and surfaces sourced
Social behaviour
Schooling inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Activity
Nocturnal inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred
Seasonality
Present year-round in its habitat; no pronounced seasonality known. inferred
Special features
Very small armoured suckermouth catfish; popular algae-eater that lives in shoals. sourced

For anglers

Edibility
Not eaten sourced
Fishing method
Not a target species for angling; at most an incidental catch or usable as baitfish. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced
First aid
None required: this species is harmless to humans. sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Otocinclus

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