Ancistrus ranunculus “L34”

Order: Siluriformes
Suborder: Loricarioidei
Family: Loricariidae
Subfamily: Hypostominae
Genus: Ancistrus
Species: Ancistrus ranunculus, Muller, Rapp Py-Daniel & Zuanon, 1994

The Ancistrus ranunculus “L34” is a special and somewhat strange looking catfish. It has a very flat body shape, many bristles on the head in both sexes and a dark gray to black-bluish base color. Notably, the head has a triangular shape and is, often wider than the length of its body, similar to the Parancistrus aurantiacus. Usually this catfish reaches a medium size, with around 12 to 15 cm in body length.

This species differs from other Ancistrus spp. in the shape of the tentacles on its nose and its very large mouth opening. In the Rio Xingu there are currently three types with different colors; Ancistrus ranunculus “L34”, Ancistrus cf. ranunculus “spotted” and Ancistrus sp. “L255”.

The youngsters of the Ancistrus ranunclus "L34" have bright spots and can often be confused with Ancistrus sp. “L255”, from the middle Rio Xingu. But the dot markings of these youngsters disappear in the adult coloration.

The term “ranunculus” comes from Latin and means something like “tadpole”.
In the hobby this L-number is also known under the name "Medusa-Pleco".

In the wild Ancistrus ranunculus “L34” lives in Brazil, in the Rio Xingu and in the Rio Tocantins.

There they live in the shallow waters of those rivers. At these places there is a medium to faster current with a lot of oxygen in the water.

Due to the flat build, they can get into narrow crevices and caves in which larger catfishes cannot enter. This is particularly important when looking for food. In the dry season, they can be found in waters no deeper than three meters. There they often sit together in bigger groups.

Usually the water is very rich in oxygen. You should therefore pay attention to this when keeping them in the aquarium. They prefer warm water between 26 and 32 °C.
In the Rio Xingu, Ancistrus ranunculus shares the caves and crevices with Hypancistrus zebra “L46”, Baryancistrus xanthellus and Oligancistrus sp. “L20”.

Whether the A. ranunculus of the Rio Xingu and the Rio Tocantins are the same species or not, remains to be clarified, but for the time being it is considered to be the same species.

Ancistrus ranunculus “L34” are omnivorous. In other words, they eat everything, both plant and animal foods. Research shows that there are about 30 species of algae in their diet, but also, based on the teeth, it can be said that, unlike most other Ancistrus species, they also eat carnal food (carnivorous), like crustaceans, insects and other invertebrates. They graze the algae mainly from the stones. Additionally, freshwater sponges are also a big part of their diet.

We feed our breeding group mostly with Sponge soft granulate or Insect soft granulate and Spirulina soft granulate. Occasionally, we also feed them with Spirulina paste which we apply to stones in the aquarium.

At least 100 - 150 cm in length.

This species of Ancistrus is now somewhat more widespread in the aquarium hobby, but due to difficult maintenance, this species is still not as common as other Ancistrus species in the hobby.

It is vital to maintain the water quality in the aquarium. A well-filtered and regularly maintained aquarium with stable water parameters will contribute to the general health and well-being of the Ancistrus ranunculus.
Therefore a high oxygen content and regular water changes are important for this species, as are plenty of hiding places with narrow crevices.
Next to that, they are quite shy and rarely show up during the day. Ancistrus ranunculus prefers low lighting.

To further simulate the natural habitat of the Ancistrus ranunculus we have specialized replicas of an original gorge caves from the Rio Xingu; "Rio Xingu Crevice Cave". These caves provide an ideal and natural hidingplace for the "L34"-species.

All this makes the “L34” a bit challenging and complex species, making it not really suitable for novice aquarists.

They are very peaceful, so that they can be kept well in an aquarium with other species, as long as they do not stress the “L34” too much.
When stressed or when this catfish is not feeling well, it will show white spots all over its body.

Sexing of Ancistrus ranunculus "L34" is in most cases not so difficult.
If you compare male and female from the side, there are already numerous differences to spot. Even though the general body shape might be the same with both sexes, several body parts are really typical for each sex.

The head of females look from the side more convex, where as the male shows a more straight head profile.

The biggest difference are, as with almost all Ancistrus species, the tentacles on the head. A. ranunculus is a very special pleco and can show a really big tentacle growth on the head. What's remarkable: the female also shows them, which is only the case with a few species of this genus. This female on the picture shows not as much tentacle growth as would be typical possible for this species. Anyhow males always have more numerous and longer ones, which split up on the ends. Males show several rows of tentacles, where as  the female shows mostly only one row.

The next big difference are the odontodes on the gills. Males use them mostly for territory fights, which is why they tend to be way bigger than females odontodes in this particular area.

The odontodes on the pectoral fins are quite strong pronounced in both sexes. Males tend to have a thicker hard ray on the pectoral fins.

Also from top, sexing is mostly not so difficult. Males have a broader and bigger head in comparison to the body, than females. This makes their body look shorter.

From top also the amount and length of the tentacles are good visible. Females show a rounder head profile, males show a more pointy head.

From the bottom up we can say two things. Atypical for plecos the male shows a bigger, rounder papilla. With closer inspection, again yellow dots can be seen around the females papilla. This is mostly only difficult to see with the bare eyes. Close-up photographs highlight those dots better.

Breeding of A. ranunculus in aquariums is already successful, although this does not happen very often.

To breed this species it is important to create a favorable breeding environment and for this you need a special breeding aquarium. This breeding aquarium should have enough stones and plates that can serve as hiding and breeding places for the fish. In addition, it is important that there is a lot of flow, oxygen and good filtration in this aquarium.

In addition to providing a suitable breeding environment, there are several other factors to consider when growing Ancistrus ranunculus "L34" in aquariums.

Water parameters play a crucial role in successful breeding. Maintaining stable water conditions is critical, including temperature, pH and water hardness. For Ancistrus ranunculus, the water temperature should ideally be kept between 26 and 32 °C, with a slightly acidic to neutral pH. In addition, softer water is preferred, especially for breeding.

The experience of some breeders shows that the “L34” breeds in special crevice caves. Here the female lays her eggs in the cave, where the male then fertilizes them. The male takes care of raising the clutch until they hatch.
Providing multiple hiding places will help reduce aggression and competition between the breeding pair and any tank mates.

Feeding the breeding pair a nutritious and varied diet is essential to ensure their health and reproductive success. Providing a mix of high quality, high protein sinking granules will help condition the fish for breeding. For example; Spirulina soft granulate, Insect soft granulate and Sponge soft granulate.

Once reproductive behavior has been observed, it is critical that disturbances in the breeding tank are kept to a minimum. Avoiding sudden movements or loud noises near the aquarium can help prevent stress from causing the male to eat the eggs or abandon the young.