Pterygoplichthys is everywhere

[MatsP]

Yes, but the confusion is to whether it's the dark areas or the light areas that have spots/vermiculations.

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Mats

[Suckermouth]

Spots/vermiculations are supposed to be in reference to the dark areas.

[lfinley58]

Hi all,

As is often the case with many fishes, the rules of thumb don't always quite work as well as we would like. I have noted photos of the two species in question in some scientific literature, similar to the one recently posted, in which both spots and some vermiculations are evident. Of course, if we look at extremes it is easy...but it is those suckers in the middle that can play with our heads.

Lee

[racoll]

I couldn't make my mind up on this one either.

Usually the smaller fishes are difficult to diagnose, but this one looks big enough to me.

[Birger]

Yes, but the confusion is to whether it's the dark areas or the light areas that have spots/vermiculations.

Sorry I was a bit quick on the draw earlier

I think the Page & Robins, 2006 paper has a decent explanation of this with examples.

Going by this paper and the examples given I would say P. pardalis

Birger

[Mike_Noren]

Is there any reason to think P. pardalis and P. disjunctivus do not hybridize?

[MatsP]

Is there any reason to think P. pardalis and P. disjunctivus do not hybridize?

Seems quite likely that they would - assuming they are separate species in the first place - is there anything saying that a collection somewhere between the type location of P. pardalis and P. disjunctivus wouldn't be a "inbetween" species?

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Mats

[Silurus]

A different species now in South Asia:

Sinha, RK, RK Sinha, UK Sarkar and WS Lakra, 2010 First record of the southern sailfin catfish, Pterygoplichthys anisitsi Eigenmann & Kennedy, 1903 (Teleostei: Loricariidae), in India. Journal of Applied Ichthyology 26: 606–608.

[sidguppy]

I just checked the paper on Poland (link by HH a few posts up) and they got the species wrong; the fish in the picture is an anisitsi or pardalis/disjunctivis; but it's sure not a gibby.

[crkinney]

Four or five years ago the Pterygoplichthys poupulation was so large in the St Johns River in florida ,they were destroying comerical fishermens hoop nets[they bait with soy bean meal] .We had a hard freeze that winter and got them back under control for a while .This winter took its toll also but they have learned to swim into the spring runs to stay warm 72deg f
Nore : We roasted a couple on an open fire while coon hunting one nite .I will stick with spam [so much for table fare]

[Shovelnose]

And its official now. Both Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus and P. pardalis are found down here.

http://threatenedtaxa.org/ZooPrintJourn ... 4-1337.pdf

To add to the misery, 3 species of Oreochromis, Amphilophus trimaculatum and Hemichromis bimaculatus.

[avianwing]

Although Pterygopichthys seems to have caused some river bank erosion issues in the US and there is some speculation they might cause changes in the aquatic vegetation, they seem a lesser problem worldwide than the four horsemen of the aquatic biodiversity apocalypse: Tilapia, Gambusia, Goldfish, and Trout.

I suspect the list should read Tilapia, Gambusia, Koi Carp (also Silver,Grass etc) and Trout.. Koi Carp are definitely more harmful though Goldfish more likely to be introduced but there is little fear of Black moors and their kin establishing feral populations.

I guess the Loricariid should fit in with these four replace the Trout in tropical countries. I am sure they exist all over India, not only in Chennai.

[taksan]

Poor fish .... much maligned and people BBQ'ing them.
How any of you can even THINK about eating a catfish is beyond my comprehension.
Eating a fish to me is like eating my pet dog or cat ...

[Shovelnose]

Are these Pterygoplichthys??? Collected locally last weekend. Unfortunately, I was collecting and couldn't take any pictures. Does the abdominal pattern show up only in adult specimens???

[Jools]

Yes, I think they are but with the caution I've not seen them that small before.

Jools

[Silurus]

They look like the Pterygoplichthys juveniles I caught in Singapore.

[Shovelnose]

Whew!!! I was paranoid they might be something else.

[Silurus]

Now in Israel.

[Silurus]

Its effects on native Clarias in Thailand

[Birger]

South Africa

http://link.springer.com/article/10.100 ... 013-0438-7

[Silurus]

South Africa

http://link.springer.com/article/10.100 ... 013-0438-7

Already posted here.

[Jools]

I wonder who will win, plecos, guppies, tilapia or Clarias.

Jools

[Jools]

Just joining two threads - http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... 14&t=41848.

Jools

[Shovelnose]

I saw a few adult P.pardalis being collected from a small brackish pond near the coast of southern India. Chanos chanos, Oreochromis sp. and numerous prawns were the other catches. Are Pterygoplichthys known to thrive in brackish water as well?









The habitat.

[Silurus]

Are Pterygoplichthys known to thrive in brackish water as well?

Yes, they are.

http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Man ... 000000.pdf

http://philjournalsci.dost.gov.ph/vol14 ... fishes.pdf

[Shovelnose]

Yes, they are.

Interesting, thanks for the references HH.

I wonder who will win, plecos, guppies, tilapia or Clarias.Jools

I think we are looking at a 5 way tie Jools, I thought Plecos,Clarias and Tilapia initially but Gambusia/Guppies and now Platies seem to be just as resilient.

[Jools]

Just found a picture of a Pterygoplichtys taken swimming in the Union Canal, central Scotland.

Jools

[Silurus]

Another record from India

[N0body Of The Goat]

Just found a picture of a Pterygoplichtys taken swimming in the Union Canal, central Scotland.

Jools

Blimey!

I'd love to know if this fish survived over the winter in there, or if it was released since spring, not that we have had much more than ~3C air temperature increase since March!

[Jools]

Here's the picture, note the Scottish tadpoles. It's here on google maps.

Jools