About Hypostomus commersoni Valenciennes, 1836
Hypostomus commersoni is a species of catfish belonging to the family Loricariidae. The species is native to South America, where it occurs naturally in the Paraná River drainage. This range includes the Iguazu River, the Paraguay River, the Río de la Plata, and the Dulce River. It most commonly lives in rivers that have muddy substrates and moderate water currents. The water bodies that Hypostomus commersoni inhabits typically have a water temperature between 16.8 and 27.8 °C (62.2 to 82.0 °F), a pH between 7.2 and 9.2, a turbidity between 23.7 and 442 NTU, an oxygen concentration between 6.1 and 9.1 mg/L, and a conductivity between 1.087 and 2.654 μS/cm. Hypostomus commersoni can grow to a total length of 60.5 cm (23.8 inches), and reports indicate it can weigh at least 1.8 kg (4 lbs). This species is sold in the aquarium trade, where it is most often referred to as Commerson's pleco.
