Help w/Hypancistrus

mdwflyer · Post by **mdwflyer** » 15 Jun 2012, 22:07

#1) approx 1.5" long

#2 approx 1.25" long

#3 approx 1.5" long

#4 approx 2" long

matti2uude · Post by **matti2uude** » 15 Jun 2012, 22:31

They look like they could be L260 to me.

djtonyel · Post by **djtonyel** » 15 Jun 2012, 22:43

100%100 L-260

mdwflyer · Post by **mdwflyer** » 15 Jun 2012, 23:15

For my own education, as they grow/mature, do the lines stay the same size? In other words appear finer?

Post by **Barbie** » 16 Jun 2012, 07:13

Yes, L260, and yes, the pattern itself stays the same size while the fish grows larger and develops more of the same pattern.

Barbie

jp11biod · Post by **jp11biod** » 16 Jun 2012, 14:22

Barbie, so a photo of unique markings of a young adult can be used to identify an older adult later?

does this hold true for all striped L-numbers?

JS

mdwflyer · Post by **mdwflyer** » 16 Jun 2012, 16:05

Thanks for the information, that is very helpful.

In the group of L260's that I have, the 2 smallest had me wondering about their pattern.

Post by **Barbie** » 17 Jun 2012, 04:51

I do not know that for sure JS. I haven't ever tried to track the growth of a single species like that. It would be interesting to see! I just know that when next to fish larger than the fry, they can be "lost" in the pattern because the stripes are still the same width ;).

Barbie

Suckermouth · Post by **Suckermouth** » 17 Jun 2012, 05:12

jp11biod wrote:Barbie, so a photo of unique markings of a young adult can be used to identify an older adult later?

does this hold true for all striped L-numbers?

JS

I highly doubt this would work, the patterns of a juvenile will look different from the adult because the adult will have more lines. As mentioned, the fine lines of L260 do stay quite thin as the fish grow. The color pattern changes as the adult has way more lines than a juvenile. I haven't tracked color pattern as L260 grow, but I hypothesize the old lines spread apart as the fish grow and new lines appear between them. On the other extreme, H. zebra is an example of a species where the juvenile looks very similar as an adult, however, there is also very little variation between individuals of H. zebra which makes identification difficult.