Remarks: Zebra otos are a unique, slightly larger, and beautiful take on the ever popular oto catfish. Instead of the typical solid coloration most are used to seeing on an oto, they have black and gray stripes and squiggles along their body. This combined with their white caudal fin edged with black makes them not only an excellent algae-eater, but an eye-catching addition to an aquarium especially when housed with green plants. This species is rarely seen in the hobby due to them only being found in hard to reach sections of the Amazon. The species name for the zebra oto (Otocinclus cocama) is named after the indigenous ethnic group known as the Cocama that live in the same areas these catfish are found. As they are an endangered species, we highly encourage those that purchase these rare otos to attempt to breed them. It is a challenging endeavor, but highly rewarding.

Zebra otos rarely exceed 2″ in length and prefer to live in large groups of 8 or more though smaller groups of about 3 can be okay in smaller tanks. As this species doesn’t have much in the way of defense and is very small, they should not be kept with aggressive species or those big enough to swallow them. They also require high levels of dissolved oxygen and do not tolerate poor water quality so heavy filtration and frequent water changes are a must. If a tank has high flow, it can be very entertaining to watch them play in the current.

What comes along with their amazing ability to clean up algae is a very high metabolism requiring that otos be able to graze 24/7. For this reason, they should not be added to a tank that does not yet have algae present and should be fed many frequent, small meals. Vegetables such as zucchini and green beans can be an excellent treat to ensure these little catfish remain happy and healthy.