Will plecos inter-breed?

[gspille]

My wife and I were in a lfs a few days ago, and I was in a conversation with a worker there who told me she and her husband have a 180gal and they have 6 plecos, all the smaller types in with various other fish. Wouldn't there be a risk of cross breeding amongst them?

 

[Warborg]

Most of the time they are pretty good at avoiding that but I suppose it could happen.

 

[bcarlos]

Possible if they are of the same species group. Many instances of hybrid hypancistrus.

 

[Allan01230]

I would say no. Hard enough to get any fancy pleco to breed with the same species. But I'am definately not a pleco expert.

 

[scatz]

Possible if they are of the same species group. Many instances of hybrid hypancistrus.

spot on. if there are several fish from the same family, like various hypans, then they could interbreed.
different species can't cross though, so a bn cant breed with a peckoltia or hypan for instance