Sexual Dimorphism of the “Zebra Pleco” Hypancistrus zebra

(Illustration edited by Clay Trachtman, originally appeared at www.L46.de) Pictures from: http://home.owari.ne.jp/~cones/lancefarm/zebra/zebra4.html unless otherwise noted

Male

Female

Figure 1: The male has a slightly broader head than the female, best observed from above. In addition, the pectoral fin on the female is more curved than that of the male.

Figure 2: A close-up of the head. Odontodes can be seen sticking out of the sides of the head on the male, just below the eyes. Notice that the head of the male is slightly wider that that of the female.

Figure 3: A close up of the pectoral fin as seen from above. Odontodes are prominently sticking out of the head of the male, just below the eye. In addition, the pectoral fin on the female is more curved than that of the male. The insert pictures (from www.planetcatfish.com) show odontode growth on the pectoral spine. The growth is more dominant on the male than the female; however, immature males will not have as much odontode growth.

Figure 4: Illustration showing the differences in odontode growth between the two sexes. The odontodes on the 'cheeks' of the male are much larger than that of the female. In addition, the odontodes on the spine of the pectoral fin on the male are larger than those on the female.