Ancistrus ID?

KathyM · Post by **KathyM** » 10 Jul 2006, 11:02

Hi

When I first bought my ancistrus, he was IDed by Cup over at PF as an ancistrus triradiatus. Since then he has dramaticly changed colour, and because Cup isn't about on there, I thought it best to pop over here and see if anyone can ID him here?

http://www.plecofanatics.com/forum/show ... hp?t=17664
That's a link to the thread over there in case anyone has time to wade through it.

Poofish (my daughter named him!) is a pale goldy green with a purple tint to his sides (new development). He has paler spots.

This is a photo taken 2 months ago.

These were taken a week ago. The tannins/camera haven't shown up the lilac hue to his sides, and he is actually slightly paler than that too.

I was wondering if he's *still* looking triradiatus, or is he something else? I've looked on the PC database, and the closest in colour is this one:

http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/im ... ge_id=6934

However, Poofish has spots, not the reticulated pattern on the face/body.

Any ideas?

Thanks

Kathy

Post by **Silurus** » 10 Jul 2006, 11:05

Probably this.

KathyM · Post by **KathyM** » 10 Jul 2006, 11:07

Thanks Silurus, but sp. 3 has already been ruled out - the shape of him is completely different

Yann · Post by **Yann** » 10 Jul 2006, 12:58

Hi!
Judging by the overall shape and color, I would say it could also be Ancistrus sp L279 "Rio Huacamayo, Peru

Cheers
Yann

KathyM · Post by **KathyM** » 10 Jul 2006, 18:18

Hi Yann

thanks for the info - I've had a look at the pic, and that's certainly closer to what he looks like apart from colour and tail shape. He doesn't have a narrowing just before the tail if you get me (and his tail doesn't fan like that - it's straight), and his colour is amber/green with a lilac hue at times.

Thanks

Kathy

KathyM · Post by **KathyM** » 11 Jul 2006, 17:54

Yann I am SO sorry (listen to this *lol*). This morning I saw him come out of the pipe he lives in, and he was nearly black with a hint of bluey grey, but blotchy. I've seen him since as his usual green/amber colouring (on the gravel), and now he's on the bogwood in the shade, scoffing, and he's dark grey/blue again. So maybe he IS L279? Does anyone know if these can camouflage like this?! It's the first time I've seen him do this. And here was me scoffing at the L279 idea yesterday! Yann I deeply and sincerely apologise if you were right all along - he's never been this colour until today, well not in my view.

Yann · Post by **Yann** » 12 Jul 2006, 17:17

Hi Kathy!!

No problem...no need to feel bad...I would never get upset on this sort of things...
Loricariidae can vary a lot in coloration, depending of the mood, healthyness, decoration...yes Loricariidae can camouflage themselves by modificating the colour to adjust to the bottom to be less visible as a matter of protection!

Cheers
Yann

KathyM · Post by **KathyM** » 17 Jul 2006, 10:45

I have more pics if it helps:

<bit>

You can see from these pics he's changed colour again *lol*.

KathyM · Post by **KathyM** » 18 Jul 2006, 22:32

OK if anyone can give me any tips on how I can go about researching exactly what species he is (eg. how to eliminate any of the suggestions or validate them), that would be much appreciated - I've had a handful of different ideas, but no definitive ID as yet.

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 19 Jul 2006, 13:19

Unfortunately, it's unlikely that you will ever positively confirm the ID without a specific (and correct!) capture location.

--
Mats

KathyM · Post by **KathyM** » 19 Jul 2006, 17:55

Ahhh that's a shame, but thanks MatsP. I was hoping he'd have some identifiable feature that would stand him out from similar species. Oh well! He'll just have to be Poofish the ancistrus, not Poofish the ancistrus "x". *lol*

Post by **Barbie** » 19 Jul 2006, 18:08

Unless I'm missing something in the pictures, he is also probably a "she" Poofish. Guess at least you don't have to change her name ;).

Barbie

KathyM · Post by **KathyM** » 20 Jul 2006, 18:49

Hi Barbie - no, he's only a baby (under 2") and started developing bristles a month ago - he has some little bumps appearing up his face to add to the ones around his lip, so we think he's a he.

KathyM · Post by **KathyM** » 26 Jul 2006, 14:18

Does anyone know how you go about IDing (if you can) tank bred BNs? Because I'm thinking it's more likely he's tank bred considering I bought him at 1".

I'm also wondering if he's an ancistrus claro, as I've seen pics of them online that looks similar? It'd be a shame if he was one because they only grow to a little bit bigger than he/she is now.

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 26 Jul 2006, 15:14

The best way to ID tank-bred fish (unless they are obvious from the way they look) is to know what the parents are - which may take researching back to the original breeder - and in some cases impossible...

If you bought the fish at 1", it was almost certainly captive bred, either locally or farmed in SE Asia.

A. claro is a distinct possibility for tank-bred ones, they aren't uncommon, and aren't very hard to breed. As you say, they are a small species... Should grow a little bit bigger than your one is right now tho'.

--
Mats

KathyM · Post by **KathyM** » 26 Jul 2006, 16:04

Thanks MatsP

I think it's going to be impossible to trace him back, as our LFS is rubbish to be honest. They were selling baby liposarcus as BNs the other week. I'm trying not to use them now.

I think what I need to do is work out the most commonly bred species, and knock them off the list one by one. I know he's not sp. 3, so that's one down. I think from what people have told me, that narrows it down to triradiatus and claro - any other suggestions most welcome. Now I just have to work out how to knock them off the list *lmao* - I'm really rubbish at this.

Thanks again for your help,

Kathy
xx

Post by **Barbie** » 26 Jul 2006, 18:01

IMO the fish isn't A. claro because at 2" it should look mature and much more bristley. My male is probably barely 2" SL and looks like:

The pattern is right on your fish but the head shape is a bit off, also. Here's a picture of a female along with one of the fry, to give you an idea of the coloration for 1" fish.

Sorry to not be any real help, but hopefully it can help you narrow it down a bit.

Barbie

sojapat · Post by **sojapat** » 26 Jul 2006, 18:39

PLANETPOOFISH

POOFISH STUDY GROUP

POOFISH FANATICS

L46 ZEBRA POOFISH

I think this could catch on ...

Sorry for being Imature but I could not help it.

KathyM · Post by **KathyM** » 26 Jul 2006, 18:49

Thanks very much Barbie - he's definitely not one of thems then. Looking at your pics, he's completely the wrong shape - much thicker in the body/head and shorter in length too.

Sojapat - LMAO! That's it, he's a new species. Ancistrus sp. "Poofish". Oh go on someone with authority, please name him that LOL!

sojapat · Post by **sojapat** » 26 Jul 2006, 20:50

Yes,I think I like this new species ..
How are the big city lights of Keighley?
I have spent many a night out there..
I like The Red Pig,Royal Oak and Albert the best ..
I miss the Taylors beer ..

Did you ever go in the Grinning Rat when they had tanks ?
I went out In Keighley and Haworth every weekend for 15 years!!!
Good Memories ..

KathyM · Post by **KathyM** » 27 Jul 2006, 09:31

LOL small world! The Red Pig used to be my regular after The Albert went all cack. I met my ex hubby in The Grinning Rat (he got barred - they obviously saw through him before I did!). It's not there any more, it's a coffee bar thing now

The Pig's still good though! My sister used to work there.

KathyM · Post by **KathyM** » 01 Aug 2006, 10:59

A couple more pics to see if they ring any bells:

KathyM · Post by **KathyM** » 01 Aug 2006, 19:48

And more:

KathyM · Post by **KathyM** » 01 Aug 2006, 20:04

Ok I'm really sorry for posting again, but do you think his body shape looks more like a juvi version of this?

http://www.scotcat.com/loricariidae/anc ... sp_l88.htm

I realise he's probably not that, but I'm drawing a blank on the commonly kept species.

Post by **Barbie** » 01 Aug 2006, 21:00

Without knowing where your fish was collected it's just going to have to be considered an "Ancistrus sp.", in all likelihood. The differing coloration you're seeing can be due to the fact that your gravel is lighter than the gravel was in tanks other people with the same fish were keeping them in. Coloration is really not a very effective identifying factor for most of the Lori's for that reason, IMO. it's their nature to try to blend as much as possible.

How big is poofish now? I do realize it's growing bristles but it seems to only be on it's lips and definitely seems to be looking more female, IMO. Most pictures for ID are male, IME, so you may really have trouble comparing the shape of the females to the males for ID purpose, also.

Count on me to be the bearer of bad news I guess. If you intending to breed the fish, contacting your LFS where you bought it that you'd like more from the same source might be a plan.

Barbie

KathyM · Post by **KathyM** » 02 Aug 2006, 00:06

Hi Barbie

Poofish is about 2" now, and has only started growing bristles recently. I *think* there are some new bumps on his/her face coming up but he/she's very fast so hard to get a decent look. A lady on another forum said that Poofish was probably a boy as he/she'd started growing bristles while so little, but I'm not bothered either way really.

As for species, I thought it'd be quite easy to narrow down what he/she is on body shape and what's commonly bred in aquariums, as he/she's definitely tank bred if I got him/her at 1". As I've said, I can't trace him through the LFS as they don't even remember having them in, and currently have baby liposarcus marked up as BNs. They're pretty rubbish sadly.

Cup on PF IDed him as ancistrus triradiatus from body shape, but that was before he got fatter and stockier looking - I've tried to get in touch with him since but had no luck. He's definitely not sp. 3, and I'm pretty sure he's not claro. It'd just be nice to have an idea of species in case I ever find another. Obviously colour doesn't come into it (I've learned that with his frequent colour changes) but I think his unusual body shape should help us ID him? You'd think someone would fancy a wild guess *lol*, even if just out of curiosity.

Thanks for your help,

Kathy
xx

KathyM · Post by **KathyM** » 18 Aug 2006, 14:36

I kept my fingers crossed that with me having been offline poorly, I'd come back to an idea of what Poofish is. She looks destined to be forever a mystery, ahh well, never mind.

Thanks anyway.

KathyM · Post by **KathyM** » 27 Feb 2007, 17:00

One last try for Poofish - if at ALL possible I'd like to get him some females, so I know I'm probably flogging a dead horse, but I have to give it one last shot.

He is 2.5" SL and not growing any more (hasn't grown in 5 months at least). Cup on PF originally suggested ancistrus triradiatus, but I'm not sure if his size rules him out.

Right here goes:

Not so hot pic of his belly, which makes him look skinny but he's actually very fat *lol*

Side view

As you can see, our suspicions were correct and he turned out to be a boy after all!

sidguppy · Post by **sidguppy** » 27 Feb 2007, 20:37

yup

but the shape is all wrong.

I have a strong hunch that this fish is one of those artificially created "ballon forms"; the ones that you can already buy as sailfinmolly's, Corydoras, Iridescent Sharks, Paroon Sharks, Butter Cats, Parrot fish and others.

this one looks like a "Balloon Common Bristlenose"

KathyM · Post by **KathyM** » 27 Feb 2007, 22:31

He's not anywhere near "balloon" shaped though - he's the same shape as the L088 pics (on Scotcat) and triradiatus pics (on PC) I've seen. He also doesn't have sp. 3 markings in any form, although I realise that's variable - no spots, etc since he matured.

Edited to add: Unless you're going on the old pics on here of him (which are 6 months old now), where he would "bloat" up after eating too much courgette as a juvi. If you look at today's pics, you can see he's not bloated or balloon type in any way.

Ancistrus ID?

Ancistrus ID?

I cant help myself !!!

HI Kathy