Care
Yellow Seam Pseudancistrus is a medium sized suckermouth catfish known from swiftly flowing tropical waters with substrates of smooth gravel, cobbles, and boulders. These slender, streamlined bottom-dwellers are of a dark greenish-brown colour (lighter ventrally) with many small pale yellow spots that increase slightly in size between snout and body. The fine hypertrophied odontodes along the snout margin (exhibited in both sexes) are yellowish, and this species differs from its congeners by having yellowish dorsal and caudal fin tips. An aquarium for these fish should be mature, with a substrate of smooth small-sized pea gravel or soft aquatic sand, and various pieces of smooth rockwork and bogwood arranged to create lots of shady caves and crevices. Avoid all sharp decor such as lava rock and some of the larger, sharper gravels. There should be brisk water movement and a high level of oxygenation, perhaps provided by a river-tank manifold or powerheads (in addition to the current generated by the filtration). These fish require warmer than average water temperatures, and will not do well below 25 °C. However, do remember that the warmer the water, the more important it is to ensure a higher level of oxygenation (perhaps letting the return from filters sit above the water line so that filtered water being returned to the tank splashes down onto the water's surface and incorporates more oxygen). Large males can be rather territorial with their own kind and closely related species, so be sure to provide a generously-sized aquarium with an abundance of visual barriers amongst the decor, with more than one cave made available for every fish. In smaller aquaria, keep only one per tank. Companions should ideally occupy the middle and upper levels, be reasonably peaceful, and be able to thrive in warm, soft water with decent current e.g. some of the smaller characins. Although these fish prefer a diet high in vegetable matter, they will not make any real impact on nuisance algae and must be offered a varied diet (see below). When they are actively grazing, they are actually searching for their natural food source - aufwuchs - which is a type of algae biofilm that contains small invertebrate life. Ensure that regular partial water changes are carried out as these somewhat sensitive catfish produce a fair amount of waste and will not tolerate an elevated nitrate level. In the recent past, there has been some confusion between this species and L017 (currently recognised as a
Hopliancistrus sp.). However, whilst L017 has the yellowish tip to the caudal fin, it does not have a yellowish tip to the dorsal like L067 does. L017 also lacks the hypertrophied odontodes along the snout margin. May also be seen on sale as the Yellow-edged Bearded Pleco. Recommended for advanced aquarists only.
Feeding
Offer a variety of different foodstuffs containing a good proportion of vegetable matter. Cucumber, courgette, lettuce, squash etc should all be enthusiastically consumed, and these can be supplemented with sinking wafers/tablets, and the odd treat of meaty frozen foods such as bloodworm and chopped prawns. These fish have a very long digestive tract which is utilised in the breaking down of foods high in vegetable content, so do not offer an excessive amount of meaty foods as this will lead to health problems.
Breeding
This species has not been bred in the home aquarium.
