The zebra pleco (Hypancistrus zebra) is a species of catfish endemic to Brazil where it occurs in the Big Bend area of the Xingu River, a tributary of the Amazon River, and was first described in the early 1990s. It gets its name from its black and white stripes, resembling the colouration of a zebra. This species grows to a length of 6.4 centimetres (2.5 in) SL. This fish was exported from Brazil in great numbers for sale as aquarium fish. However, currently the Brazilian government bans the export of certain Hypancistrus, including H. zebra.