Otocinclus Affinis
Otocinclus species are diurnal, and generally are found in small streams or along the margins of larger rivers, clinging to substrates using the mouth as a sucker, and feeding from algae or aufwuchs on roots, stones, macrophytes, and broad-leaved grasses. They inhabit well-oxygenated, moderate- to slow-flowing environments, often near river banks. They are found near the surface of the water, but are often associated with vegetation or other structures.They lay adhesive eggs and do not guard them; this is in contrast to many other loricariids where the male builds a nest and guards the eggs. These fish live in shoals or schools.Otocinclus are able to breathe air. Prior to surfacing, they will release air through their gills and mouth. Upon returning to the bottom, the fish do not need to pump their buccal cavities, indicating they are absorbing oxygen from the swallowed air.O. mimulus, O. flexilis and O. xakriaba are considered to be Batesian mimics of certain Corydoras species (C. diphyes, C. paleatus, C. nattereri, and C. garbei, respectively). These Corydoras species have bony plates of armor and strong spines as defenses, making them less palatable; by mimicking these species in size and coloration, Otocinclus spp. avoid predation.
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