He said: "Your L333 is a LDA19 ..."

[L3hundred33]

Hi,

I am new to Planetcatfish (this is my 2nd post) and new to L-numbers. I recently bought 2 L-numbers as a male and female L333. In an attempt to determine whether I had really bought a male and female L333 I posted my question here on Planetcatfish, and I started asking around at local aquarium stores.

So far 3 dissappointments:
1. the fish I bought as a female L333 has a sunk belly and I am hoping she is not sick or something (I don't know how she is doing because I have not seen her since she fled into the breeding hole when I put her in the tank .. 4 days ago, she won't come out)

2. the fish I bought as a female L333 could possible be a male (according to the replies on my first post)

3. today I went to a local aquarium store to buy additional L333 females and I got a suprising reaction from the employee working there: after looking at my pictures he said that my L333's look more like the LDA19, and led me to a tank with similar looking fish ...

... you can imagine that I am somewhat confused now and with mixed feelings about my purchase.


Could someone please help me with a positive ID? Are these L333, or LDA19, or maybe some other number?

I appreciate any help, thanks!

L3hundred33

[Elwood]

Looks more like L129 for me.

[mjh712]

I've had L129 & they don't appear to be L129. They do look like LDA019 but I'm not an expert. LDA019 only grow about 3" while L333 grow to about 6". Your one male looks to be mature so if he's still under 3" they're probably LDA019.

Also, might want to check on the one in the cave, if it had a sunken belly & won't come out of the cave for a few days, even to eat, then it might have died. If he/she is still alive, make sure he/she's eating.

[Narwhal72]

They look like LDA019/L340 (they are the same fish) to me. But Hypancistrus can be very difficult to tell apart.

Andy

[dw1305]

Hi all,
I'm not going to have a go at sexing, and it is "pick a name" time, but as they are quite small, I think they may be L340 rather than

Hypancistrus sp(l333)

.

They look like LDA019/L340 (they are the same fish) to me

and Hypancistrus sp(L129)(now correctly H. debilittera) and

Hypancistrus sp(l340)

may also both belong under

Hypancistrus debilittera

<http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... me+species>.

cheers Darrel

[L3hundred33]

Hi,

thank you all for the replies. I appreciate it very much, .. even though the outcome is not what I was hoping for. But if I read closely, there is some hesitation in the replies.

After reading the replies I dove into the tank to measure. The male measures 8cm (3") from head to the center of the tail, and 9cm from head to the tip of the tail (longer). The tail is moon shaped. Measuring had to be done with the male in the breeding hole because he wouldn't come out.

Because I had such a hard time measuring the male (the healthier of the two) I did'nt go after the 'female' with the sunk belly, because I did'nt want to give her more stress in a weak state. I still have not seen her come out of the breeding hole, so I also have not seen her eat yet. But I am monitoring very closely and I think that I will give her 2 more days to come out. After that I think I will check her out inside the tank, even if this means stress.

When I bought these two fish, I was given this info:
1. that these are mature fish
2. that they wouldn't grow much larger
3. that these were L333
4. that one was male (A) and the other female

Do these measurements and this extra info help further in positively ID'ing these fish?

Thanks, L3hundred33

PS:
The description on Planetcatfish of the L340 says: This species smaller size (80mm), the orange colour and the well marked eye junction is a good way to id this species. Can be confused with more strikingly marked Hypancistrus debiliterra (70mm).

With regard to this description: The size of my fish fits the description of the L340. The pictures that I have uploaded were shot in artificial light, in daylight the lines / markings on the body and fins are less orange, more towards a sandy or a light skin colour. As a whole my two fish are not strikingly marked, rather dull, and I was hoping that the dullness was a result of stress and would go away as they settled in. And further: I have no idea what a "well marked eye junction" is.

[nvcichlids]

I am fairly certain they are not L333, and would go as far to say as you got two males. after looking at the pictures you posted bigger, I agree with the above on the ID, and the sexing sure seems to be 2 males, 1 healthy, 1 less healthy.

[L3hundred33]

Thank you all very much for sharing your thoughts with me!

The outcome is a bit dissapointing: none of you think that these fish are the L333, and most of you agree on the LDA19. The LDA19 is not the fish that I went out to buy, so I will give these new insights back to the one I bought these fish from, and I will share the outcome with you.

Kind regards, L3hundred33