Help，how to distinguish L117 from L018

[chris.west.curtis]

I collected two photos from Google.The fist one is L018 and the second is L117.But some of my friends have different ideas.How to distinguish L117 from L018?I have been confused.

[Rabbit]

I assume you mean L177?. Not easy from a young age as juvenile L18 have rather large spots and deep color. Best wait till there around 4" where L18s spots appear not to grow with the fish and more appear, whilst L177 will retain large spots with color still deep and in instances even orange. L177 keeps its caudal and dorsal color banding until a much later stage than that of L18.
Keep in mind that both these fish are now considered Baryancistrus Xanthellus and as such are simply variants of the same fish.
It would be interesting to see the juveniles of those bred not long ago by John Leuenberger, to see if both patterns where found present.

[chris.west.curtis]

I assume you mean L177?. Not easy from a young age as juvenile L18 have rather large spots and deep color. Best wait till there around 4" where L18s spots appear not to grow with the fish and more appear, whilst L177 will retain large spots with color still deep and in instances even orange. L177 keeps its caudal and dorsal color banding until a much later stage than that of L18.
Keep in mind that both these fish are now considered Baryancistrus Xanthellus and as such are simply variants of the same fish.
It would be interesting to see the juveniles of those bred not long ago by John Leuenberger, to see if both patterns where found present.

Thank you.