Suckermouth Catfish

Suckermouth Catfish (Hypostomus plecostomus)

Photo courtesy of DAR

Description:

  • Grows up to 50 cm, body covered in armored plates (CABI, 2021)
  • Popular ornamental fish native to northern South America (CABI, 2021)

Habitat:

  • Prefers quiet, slow moving waters (Neilson, 2021)
  • In the US, introduced populations reside in shallow areas of lakes, rivers, and reservoirs (CABI, 2021)`

Impacts & Concern:

  • Compete for food and space with native species due to abundance (Neilson, 2021)
  • Create burrows which cause increased erosion and sedimentation (CABI, 2021)

Introduction:

  • Introduced to Hawaiʻi through aquarium release (Neilson, 2021)

Distribution in Hawaii:

Reported distribution of Hypostomus plecostomus in the Main Hawaiian Islands

  • Kauai: Not documented
  • Oʻahu: Present (Neilson, 2021)
  • Molokai: Not documented
  • Lanai: Not documented
  • Maui: Present in Kanaha Pond (Neilson, 2021)
  • Big Island: Not documented

References:

  • Neilson, M.E. (2021) Hypostomus sp. (watwata group): U.S. Geological Survey, Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database, Gainesville, FL. https://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/factsheet.aspx?SpeciesID=763
  • CABI, 2021. Hypostomus plecostomus. In: Invasive Species Compendium. Wallingford, UK: CAB International. https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/114927