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Definition of plecostomus

plecostomus

/plɪˈkɑːstəməs/
ple · cos · to · mus
Plural:plecostomuses
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plecostomus Lexical Profile

• noun

1

A freshwater armored catfish of the family Loricariidae, native to tropical South America and widely kept in aquariums to control algae growth.

Example

"The novice aquarist bought a small plecostomus to clean the tank glass, not realizing it could eventually grow to be over a foot long."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for plecostomus

• Rhymes for plecostomus

• Nearby Words

platystemon
playpen
pleco
plecostomus
plectranthus
pleione
plesiosaur

Word Origin & Etymology

Derived from the former scientific genus name Plecostomus, which originates from the Greek words 'pleko' (plaited or folded) and 'stoma' (mouth), referring to the specialized suckermouth of the fish.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Plecostomus. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 18, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/plecostomus
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