Ancistrus sp Lemon Drop

[jrjerin]

Where can I find more information on this Pleco? The only thing I have gotten is a lot of conflicting information. So far the information I have gotten is that it is a brown Bristle Nose with Calico and albino genes. It is a smaller bristlenose with more yellow spots. It is where the common bristlenose came from. Does anybody know any more information or know where I can find more information?

[MatsP]

Haven't got any info on that one, but it's very likely that it is another colour morph of the common species. I don't THINK that albino x calico would look like what you describe (in fact, I would expect that to look just like a common brown variety, since the genes for albinism and the gene for calico will both "miss" their counterpart in the other fish, and since both of the genes are recessive traits, the "normal" trait shows through).

--
Mats

[Amberdawn]

I have heard the term "Lemon drop" used to describe albino or L144 X calico, or even albino X L144. These color crosses are browns (barring recessives cropping up) and are within the range of variation for normal brown, though the spots are supposed to be more lemon colored than average. Unfortunately very little used to describing the common aquarium strain BN has been standardized so if you come across some BN described as "Lemon drops" they may be a cross of the above color morphs or perhaps the seller just liked the name.

[jrjerin]

That is kind of what I was thinking it was. Should these be the the same price as a standard Brown, or would you pay more?

I have heard the term "Lemon drop" used to describe albino or L144 X calico, or even albino X L144. These color crosses are browns (barring recessives cropping up) and are within the range of variation for normal brown, though the spots are supposed to be more lemon colored than average. Unfortunately very little used to describing the common aquarium strain BN has been standardized so if you come across some BN described as "Lemon drops" they may be a cross of the above color morphs or perhaps the seller just liked the name.

[apistomaster]

There are some aquabid sellers offering "Lemon Drop Bushy Noses".
They look like common Bushy Noses to me.

[jrjerin]

That is what is causing me to ask the people selling them have no cluse what they have.

There are some aquabid sellers offering "Lemon Drop Bushy Noses".
They look like common Bushy Noses to me.

[apistomaster]

On the currently 4 pages of listings in the "Plecostomus" category on aquabid, at least half are for the various color and fin types of common Ancistrus cf cirrhosus plus another few choosing to call their Albinos L144 as if that makes them something special. So The competition is high and prices are very low for these fish. Whenever this kind of marketplace arises the names become ever more inventive. Me, I call them "Guppyostomus" and do everything I can to prevent unwanted spawns. I can breed them anytime I want but the only time I would need to do this is if I wanted 2 very small ones to keep with a breeding pair of Discus. I move them out by the time they get over 1-3/4" TL and replace them with new small one's. It's easier to just bum a couple from my buddy who does trade the ones he raises to the LFS. A few years ago I gave him some hybrids of normal fin normal color with normal fin albinos so from his one pair he gets the simple Mendelian distribution of F2 gen, 25% Albino and 75% normal Phenotypes.

It is very common among discus vendors to have exotic names for every minutely different Red Turquoise and so on. For more just see the Discus section of aquabid.

The Killiefish breeders have an ethic of selling by different known locations of the same species to keep them pure.
If they don't know the specific location then the fish are simply called, "aquarium strain." This is so much more sensible. If they suspect any hybrids have occurred, they are not distributed, if they allow them to live at all. Many Apistogramma breeders are beginning to adopt a similar approach.

[jrjerin]

apistomaster,
Thank you for your response. I am still amazed if you ask the people that are selling these on aquabid what they are they have no idea what they have.

On the currently 4 pages of listings in the "Plecostomus" category on aquabid, at least half are for the various color and fin types of common Ancistrus cf cirrhosus plus another few choosing to call their Albinos L144 as if that makes them something special. So The competition is high and prices are very low for these fish. Whenever this kind of marketplace arises the names become ever more inventive. Me, I call them "Guppyostomus" and do everything I can to prevent unwanted spawns. I can breed them anytime I want but the only time I would need to do this is if I wanted 2 very small ones to keep with a breeding pair of Discus. I move them out by the time they get over 1-3/4" TL and replace them with new small one's. It's easier to just bum a couple from my buddy who does trade the ones he raises to the LFS. A few years ago I gave him some hybrids of normal fin normal color with normal fin albinos so from his one pair he gets the simple Mendelian distribution of F2 gen, 25% Albino and 75% normal Phenotypes.

It is very common among discus vendors to have exotic names for every minutely different Red Turquoise and so on. For more just see the Discus section of aquabid.

The Killiefish breeders have an ethic of selling by different known locations of the same species to keep them pure.
If they don't know the specific location then the fish are simply called, "aquarium strain." This is so much more sensible. If they suspect any hybrids have occurred, they are not distributed, if they allow them to live at all. Many Apistogramma breeders are beginning to adopt a similar approach.

[apistomaster]

Hi jrjerin,

If you can't get an answer from the seller about relatively cheaply priced, obviously small enough specimes to have been tank raised just assume they are common A. cf cirrhosus and you can't go wrong.
All of those selling truly interesting and colorful Ancistrus species that are high priced will usually be proud to tell you which species or L-Number they are selling. They will lmost certainly be one of the black water Ancistrus which are hard to get or breed.

There is one species well worth getting but on aquabid can be a source of misrepresentation is the Dwarf Ancistrus,

Ancistrus claro

.
They are the smallest known species of Ancistrus to the best of my knowledge and there are a fair number of of breeders selling them but they will make a point of using the correct name. A majority of aquabid vendors are selling common Bushy Nose fry as "Dwarf Ancistrus" but they get up to 4-5 inches TL while Ancistrus claro hardly ever grow to more than 3 inches. A. claro are also called dwarf gold spotted by some. They will want and deserve at least $20 to $25 each for their larger fish but if they are A. claro they well worth it. A few may sell one inch specimens for only ~$10 but these small specimens can be fairly challenging to raise if you don't have some experience with some delicate species' fry.
They are only roughly similar in appearance. Side by side they shouldn't be difficult to tell apart. Ask the seller for a personal reference from one of planetcatfish Pleco Moderators. A. claro breeders are a fairly tight knit group.

[MatsP]

apistomaster,
Thank you for your response. I am still amazed if you ask the people that are selling these on aquabid what they are they have no idea what they have.

Well, it turns out to be that way when the sellers either just makes it up as they go along, or they are (semi-)commercial sellers that buy wholesale lots and split them to smaller lots.

--
Mats