1 photo - 1 species
Introduction
Panaque is a genus of small to medium-sized South American loricariid catfish, which are also remarkable because they are one of the few vertebrates that feed almost exclusively on wood.
Their diet is supplemented by algae and growth, which they scrape from stones with the help of their rasping teeth.
Panaque nigrolineatus
Royal panaque, Royal plec or Royal pleco
Maximum length: 60 cm
All Panaque species originate from tropical South America.
They colonise fast-flowing streams and rivers.
Although they are not good swimmers, they have a powerful sucking mouth
with which they can cling to stones and wood.
In the course of their development,
panaque have adapted ideally to their wood-rich diet
and have teeth that function like a scraper
as well as intestinal flora that allow the fish to digest wood.
Photo 1 Johnny: Oberhausen Germany ( Aquarium )