L134 or Not?

[Catfish-ologist]

I have had this little pleco for about 6 months, it was sold to me as an L134. When I was at Catcon this past weekend I purchased a group of 3" L134 and I am starting to have my doubts on my original fish. I know this could be patterning due to age but I just want to clarify. Another thing to note is that the color of this fish changes very quickly 50% of the time I see it it's yellow and 50% of the time it's white.

Maybe someone who knows a lot more can help here.
thanks,
-- Sean

[bekateen]

Hi Sean,

This looks like a

Hypancistrus

to me, although I couldn't tell you which one. Also, is it my imagination, or is your fish covered with odontodes, even on the anterior body? The second photo seems to show that.

Cheers, Eric

[Catfish-ologist]

Hey Eric,
Yes it is completely covered in odontodes.
Another important detail I forgot to include is that this fish is F1 whatever it is.
I thought it looked like Hypancistrus to me, it lives with all of my zebra's and it eats what they eat (will not take veg AT ALL).
very strange!
Maybe someone else can chime in?
Thanks,
-- Sean

[-jeff-]

In my opinion reminds me of my hypancistrus SP. L450

[Jools]

I agree with Eric, definitely

Hypancistrus

and so a hybridisation risk if kept with zebras. I can't tell with certainty from the pics what it might be. Eyes reminded me more of L199 but you'd want to grow it a bit more and take settled lateral shots to have a better chance of ID from photos.

Hope that helps,

Jools

[Catfish-ologist]

Update! I originally purchased this fish from a local shop who obtained it from a breeder. After tracking him down, they figured out that there were only two plecos in the tank that this juvenile was produced from... A single male L134, and a Female L066. I had no idea it was even scientifically possible for this to occur. Has there been any instance of this ever?! The reason it was labelled L134 was because the breeder found the male L134 guarding the eggs and didn't tell the store the entire story. And for those wondering the shop has entirely stopped doing business with the breeder because of the mislabeled hybrids.
Maybe @Jools or @bekateen will want to create a Cat-elog page for it?
Thanks,
-- Sean

[Jools]

Or, the breeder thought they had L134 and L066 but in fact did not. Pics or it didn't happen. Given the number of times these fishes are misidentified I'd say it was more likely two Hypancistrus bred.

Jools

[bekateen]

Or, the breeder thought they had L134 and L066 but in fact did not. Pics or it didn't happen. Given the number of times these fishes are misidentified I'd say it was more likely two Hypancistrus bred.

Jools

Indeed. Would need good photos of the two parents to confirm the L134 and L066.

Cheers, Eric

[Acanthicus]

Hi,

I bet it is not the only misidentification that happened in the past of this little Hypancistrus. There was surely no P. compta involved.

It is not H. furunculus though, for which the head shape and the eye position is not correct. But L 450 isn't a bad call, neither would be L 333. Both are regularly misidentified as P. compta in their juvenile stadium, so it is not unlikely that the guy who bred them mixed two forms he believed to be two species and produced hybrids (or not of course).

[Catfish-ologist]

I doubted the possibility of Peckoltia and Hypancistrus spawning together. I do happen to have 6 large L450 (from a different source of course), however the pattern and coloration still doesn't match up, maybe it is just because it is a juvenile? I will try to track down the guy who bred them and see if I can get photos, and data on where he got he parents.
Thanks for all of the input!
-- Sean