Mustard Spot Pleco Panaqolus albomaculatus

There’s nothing worse than a spot of mustard on your clothes, as that delicious yellow condiment never comes out once it’s there. But, as awful as that may be, the beautiful Mustard Spot Pleco proves that this isn’t always a bad thing. This small algae-eating powerhouse, which clocks in at just five inches in length when fully grown, is speckled up and down its body with countless small yellow spots. No, it hasn’t spilled any mustard… it just likes to look fancy.

This little beauty is from the genus Panaqolus, a diverse group with several species present in the aquarium trade, many of which yet await scientific description. You’ll find P. albomaculatus in some of the Amazonian headwaters of Ecuador and Peru, such as the Rio Napo and Rio Marañon. The plecos in this genus tend to be on the smaller side (typically around five inches) and often quite ornately patterned, some quite dramatically so. Their diet is said to consist heavily of submerged wood, along with the algae and microorganisms that normally grow upon it. For this reason, a large piece of driftwood is highly recommended to accurately replicate this aspect of their diet.

Given its diminutive stature, you can find a spot for the Mustard Spot in fairly small tanks. Several can be kept at once, so long as enough hiding spots are available to quell and quarrels that might arise between them. Males develop dramatic interopercular odontodes when ready to breed, giving a curiously whiskered look to this fish, and, if you’re not careful, these are capable of giving a sharp poke to an unwary finger. If kept in pairs or groups, be sure to provide adequate caves and crevices for spawning to take place and you’ll soon be rewarded with a new generation of Panaqolus.