I found a Blue-eyed Panaque - male or female?

[Galatea]

Hi-
I was lucky enough to find a Blue-eyed panaque yesterday at the local fish store, which I think is the cochliodon as he has no white on his body at all. I have some photos which I hope show him well enough to determine if 'he' is a male or female.
BTW, he is a little skinny from prior owner, but is eating well in our community tank. he measures 10" to tip of tail.
I am really excited to have found him and hope you can provide more information for me.
Thanks in advance!

Stephanie

http://members.rushmore.com/~helprin/panaque1.jpg

http://members.rushmore.com/~helprin/panaque2.jpg

http://members.rushmore.com/~helprin/panaque3.jpg

[Yann]

Hi!

Difficult to say since with the stress all the odontodes have basically disapear.

need to have this one settle in and take a pic when the odontodes have grown a bit more!!

cheers
Yann

[Walter]

Hi,
probably bigger odontodes are no sure criterion for sexing a P. cochliodon.
Jost Borcherding (a biologist and keeper of Blue Eyes, active in some German aquaria forums) once told, that he had examined a dead Blue Eye by dissection, and it had ovaries.

Similar seems to aim at Baryancistrus.

[Fishfantasy]

Hi, i am writing from the university of pennsylvania, im tryign to establish a breedign program for blue eyed plecos. would u mind giving me the the number and adress of the petsotre which you got yourd from, thanks.

[kev]

congrats on your find , just take good care of him and if you get bored with him/her send to me

Kev

[Galatea]

Thank you for all the replies!
He is settling down well and having a great time with the algae and wood in the tank. I will get more photos of him later when he comes out of hiding.

BTW, Fishfantasy, this guy was a turn-in by owner to the LFS, evidently he wasn't getting along with their other plecos. (I haven't had any problems in my tank with him). The LFS had no idea where he came from originally.

Kev-thanks for the offer, but I doubt I'll get bored with him soon

Stephanie

[fishmadbarry]

http://members.rushmore.com/~helprin/panaque1.jpg

In this pic its belly looks a bit hollow, are you feeding it anything in particular to help get over this? it may have been neglected a bit by its previous owner before they finally took it to the store.
Is it feeding well on anything else except algae?

Barry

[Galatea]

Hi Barry-
you're absolutely right, he was skinny when I got him.
He has been eating the algae and driftwood, sinking algae wafers, he loves brussels sprouts, and sinking shrimp and spirulina pellets. I have other plecos in the same tank and so try to keep a good diet for everyone. Please let me know if there is anything else which I should be offering him; I appreciate any assistance!
He looks a lot better already, but is hiding in his cave right now, so will try to get new photos when he emerges

Stephanie

[kev]

try him on some sliced potato and some zuchini, my plec's love it, but dont leave the potato in for longer than a day or so.

Kev

[suomipleko]

I am quite sure that it`s female, I have little smaller male and it have 2" long odontones at his head and 1cm long at his "hands"..

Sorry about my wery wery bad English, I am. a young guy from finland and I haven`t learned english wery vell yet.-

Hope this helps you! Congratulations owning P. Cohcliodon. It`s wery nice fish!