Sheep Head Pacu (Acnodon normani)

A smaller relative of the more well known Silver Dollars and Pacus, the Sheep Head or Sheep Pacu is known only from the Xingu and possibly Tocantins rivers in Eastern Brazil, where it inhabits clear, fast-moving waters. This unique characin has a mouth specially adapted for grazing on submerged vegetation, fallen fruits, and biofilm and is also known to occasionally nip scales off larger fish, which may constitute part of their diet in the wild. In the aquarium, they are largely peaceful and will leave smaller fish alone but they may pick scales or nip fins off larger, slow moving tankmates. Conditions in the aquarium should replicate their wild habitat as closely as possible, with warm (80F+), clear, soft water and plenty of water movement.