What is a pleco?

[Jools]

Pleco means Loricariidae, die day or dee these days in my view. The term plec appears to have died at the hands of the internet too.

This is a new thing, it used to mean big brown suckermouth, but l-numbers have broadened that and we now also see things like dwarf pleco (Otocinclus) and Chameleon Pleco (Pseudohemidon), so it has to be family wide, right?

Jools

[Birger]

2) pl*co = all chunky loricariids with a SL above about 3"

This would not work as using Ancistrus claro for example, it has the typical "pleco" shape but none of mine including the dominant male were much over 2" SL

Otocinclus is not a pl*co,but the smallest is probaly the clown pl*co.The pitbull pl*co is even smaller but is still a species of otocinclus.

This statement started all this, in the Cat-eLog what is called a Pitbull Pleco is actually a paratocinclus not an otocinclus

so it has to be family wide, right?

I would agree, yes.

Birger

[racoll]

This would not work as using Ancistrus claro for example, it has the typical "pl*co" shape but none of mine including the dominant male were much over 2" SL

This is exactly the point, as there is nowhere to really draw the line, there is just a gradient of different body shapes.

[torbanite]

I vote yes. pleco = all loricariidae.

2) pl*co = all chunky loricariids with a SL above about 3"

If you set lower limits on size/chunkiness (mischievously) to exclude e.g. otos then why not have an upper limit and exclude e.g. gibbiceps.. After all, anything that grows that large is clearly a whale not a pleco .

Martin

[Richard B]

After all, anything that grows that large is clearly a whale not a pl*co .

Martin

Ha ha ha that made me laugh

[Bas Pels]

I rather introduce whale-pleco

And why not?