Rineloricaria sp.

Order: Siluriformes
Suborder: Loricarioidei
Family: Loricariidae
Subfamily: Loricariinae
Genus: Rineloricaria
Species: not described yet

Short time ago we could get some imports from Colombia. Those fish were labeled as Loricaria sp. but it's clearly to see, that it belongs to the genus of Rineloricaria. Since there were 3 different color forms in that import, we decided to take a pair from each coloration. The specimens on these picture, we labeled as "brown", where the other two are "gold" and "white".

Since no described Rineloricaria from Colombia resembles these fish for 100%, we so far just call them Rineloricaria sp.. The closest resemblance shows Rineloricaria sp. "Colombia" though.

Rineloricaria sp. is omnivorous but tend in the aquarium to be more a herbivore than carnivore. In nature it feeds mostly from insect larvae and other small invertebrates. Additional greens, like algae are also eaten.

In captivity you can feed this species with al lot of different sorts of food. For example granules, frozen food and even live food, also zucchini slices can be given.
We prefer to feed them with granules like Dr. Bassleer Biofish Food Green, Spirulina soft granulate or Spirulina tabs.

Since this is a species which stays fairly small, it is possible to keep a group in an aquarium with 100 cm length.

Sand as a substrate and hiding spots, in form of open, thin tubes, wood and stones, are very welcome.
The best is to keep this species around 27 °C.
Acidic water is not a must with this species, even that they will like it though. If you wanna lower the water parameter, it is possible to reach with peat, catappa leaves or alder cones. The tannins in those nature products tint the water brownish and drop the pH in the water.

A slight current, an air stone and dimmed light help the fish to feel comfortable. You will see this species a lot in the aquarium.

This fish doesn't show territorial aggression towards its own kind and is also very peaceful to other fish. They are ideal to keep in small groups of 5 - 10 specimens.

It should be taken care, that they are not put together with big, carnivorous plecos or aggressive cichlids. They often get skin damages from too aggressive tank mates, since they don't always flee in danger. Mostly they hide in the substrate at danger.

Sexing is really easy with most Rineloricaria species, since secondary sexual traits are quite dominant.

From the side view we can not see so many differences, only that the male tends to be a bit flatter.

The heads in close up reveal a more rounded snout of the male. Odontodes can be found on the side of the males head, which resemble a beard-like structure.

Most Rineloricaria males also show odontodes on top of the head till the beginning of the back. Females are smooth in that area. It should only be taken when the animals are sexed, since males also can get rather smooth in this area outside of breeding season.

The same goes for the odontodes on the pectoral fins, which are never visible with females.

The top view shows a lot. Males have a bigger head compared to the body and show the broadest body part around the shoulders. Females have a small head with a round belly region. The tail seems to end thinner with females as also the pectoral fins tend to be smaller than the ones of males.

A closer look to the head from top, reveals a pointy, "beard"- less head of the female and a broad, "hairy" head of the male.

From underneath we see, that the males papilla is thinner, than the round papilla of the female. The yellow spots are also this time really dominant with the female. With a closer look between pelvic fins and tail, we can see a greenish hue at the female. Here it is possible to see the green eggs of the fish through the almost transparent skin. Especially really gravid females show that strong and it is an easy indicator for sexing.

This species is a cave breeder. Different than plecos, they prefer to spawn in open caves with a tubular shape. Therefore the tubes are perfect caves for this species.
The eggs of Rineloricaria are green and sometimes the eggs are even visible through the skin of the belly. Similar with most Loricariidae, the male protects and takes care of the eggs.

In comprising to the R. melini, this species is easier to breed. Regular water changes are necessary. Females show quickly a fat belly, full of green eggs.