What sort of "common" pleco do I have?

Gilraen Took · Post by **Gilraen Took** » 04 Aug 2006, 09:12

Well, I was thinking that I'd need to be giving up my plec because he'd outgrow my tank, since every source I'd found had said that a regular "common" pl*co would grow to about 2' long. I made a post about giving him up in the south american forum, since I figure he'll get that long too, but I was wondering, before I give him up and order another one, if he really would get that long, or if he'd stay a bit smaller. My pictures aren't the best, his colour looks a bit faded out since the camera doesn't like the glass. Also a warning, the pics are large

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 04 Aug 2006, 09:19

Can you count the rays in the Dorsal fin? I would guess , although the pattern is a bit different.

However, if the number of rays in the Dorsal is less than 10, it's not a Liposarcus sp..

A picture of the fish with the Dorsal fin erect would be good.

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Mats

Post by **Janne** » 04 Aug 2006, 18:32

Or a small .

Janne

Gilraen Took · Post by **Gilraen Took** » 05 Aug 2006, 06:49

Hmm, I don't think he's a Glyptoperichthys gibbiceps. The markings on his fins are way off. They've got the striped pattern of the Liposarcus pardalis. How can I get him to keep his dorsal fin up for me to take a pic? Stupid question, but whenever he sees me walking towards the tank he hides... And my camera can't take a picture from across the room.

Lol, I got him specifically in the little tank they had with plecs in it because he had a bit of a different pattern than the other ones in the tank... He stood out more

Post by **Janne** » 05 Aug 2006, 08:14

If we just look on the spotted body and the fins together with the coloration, it looks like a young G. gibbiceps. But the pattern on the head dont match at all, maybe better pics would help...give him a pleco tablet or a piece of zuchini to eat and then take your pics.

Janne

KathyM · Post by **KathyM** » 05 Aug 2006, 10:30

Definitely not a gibby - he looks like the reddish liposarcus pardalis that people keep posting about - loooovely

Mike_Noren · Post by **Mike_Noren** » 05 Aug 2006, 14:23

I'm not an expert on these fish, but I seriously don't see any similarity at all between this fish an L. pardalis.

racoll · Post by **racoll** » 06 Aug 2006, 10:48

When they are young, they can be quite difficult to differentiate. But either way, the max size and care will be the same.

since I figure he'll get that long too, but I was wondering, before I give him up and order another one, if he really would get that long, or if he'd stay a bit smaller

Two feet is about the maximum size observed for these fish given optimum food and water quality. In reality this fish is more likely to reach between 14" and 18" in the aquarium.

You'll still need a very big tank to keep one though.

Gilraen Took · Post by **Gilraen Took** » 09 Aug 2006, 04:37

Well, I think I may have narrowed it down to about 100 species... I looked at the display I got him from and it said he is a "hypostomus plecostomus" The only problem is his pattern looks a good bit different to me anyways than the pictures on the site. http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/sp ... ies_id=580

So does his colour for that matter... But if it was right, then he won't ooutgrow my tank at least... And one of the people who works there told me that hers from there wasn't more than 10". Though their display says up to 18", which would make it too long to be the species he was advertized as.

racoll · Post by **racoll** » 09 Aug 2006, 10:05

I looked at the display I got him from and it said he is a "hypostomus plecostomus"

I am 99.9% sure that this fish is not a Hypostomus plecostomus.

These fish are rarely seen in the hobby nowadays, and i recognise the fish as clearly a Liposarcus pardalis or Glyptoperichthys gibbiceps. I'm leaning towards the L.pardalis.

Some shots of the dorsal fin will give us a better idea.

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 09 Aug 2006, 10:08

Most big chains and importers will sell "any" common pleco under the name of "Hypostomus plecostomus", so that's really not a good indication of the origin.

It's _VERY_ easy to tell a Hypostomus sp. from the other two common genera - the Hypostomus has 7 rays in the dorsal (top of the back) fin, whilst Liposarcus, Pterygoplichthys and Glyptoperichthys all have 10 or more. Count at the base of the fin - it's easier if you can take a picture of the fish with the dorsal raised and count it on the picture.

Note that a count of 7 is not unique for Hypostomus, but a count of 10 or higher limits the genera that it can be to the above listed ones - there's only like 15-20 or so species that have that higher number of rays, whilst 7 is more or less the norm for all other pleco species (that's about 600 or so).

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Mats

kimmers318 · Post by **kimmers318** » 09 Aug 2006, 12:18

Not trying to steal someones thread or anything...so my apologies...but this pleco I was given looks very similar when his color is washed out and I think this is a good pic of his dorsal fin....I am counting more than 7 rays if I am looking right.

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 09 Aug 2006, 12:23

Yes, Kimmers, your fish has 12-13 Dorsal rays, and I'd say it looks pretty similar to:

That's a Pterygoplichthys pardalis, by the way.
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Mats

kimmers318 · Post by **kimmers318** » 09 Aug 2006, 12:35

That has pretty much been the general consensus I have heard...and since I am by no means edu-ma-cated about different pleco species I just go with it!

He was given to me because her son's fish kept dying...unfortunately he was in a 10 gal and she was told he wouldn't outgrow it

He is now happy in my 64 gal for the time being and getting fat and sassy

Gilraen Took · Post by **Gilraen Took** » 09 Aug 2006, 18:42

Still trying to get a clear shot of the dorsal fin. I've gotten a couple of dark ones... I suppose I'll post them, in case anybody has super-eyes, but I don't think they'll do any good... He just hates his picture being taken for some reason>_> Even if you can't count the rays, you can get a clear view of the pattern. And I am pretty sure he has more than 7, just from counting the ones I can vaugely make out. And I still say I personally don't think he's a gibby.

Mike_Noren · Post by **Mike_Noren** » 09 Aug 2006, 20:56

Well... I still can't see any resemblance between any of the posted pics and the fish in the original pics at the top.

The fish at the top is crossbanded in orange and brown, with bands of orange spots on dorsal and caudal fins, spotted pectoral fins, indistinct blotchy vermiculations on the belly, and distinct vermiculations on the head.

Frankly, I don't know of any individual Liposarcus or Pterygoplichthys/Glyptoperichthys species with that combination of traits, either as juvenile or adult.

Kimmers fish, on the other hand, is obviously an L. pardalis.

kimmers318 · Post by **kimmers318** » 10 Aug 2006, 13:50

And Kimmers L pardalis is free to a good home, now or in the future if anyone is interested. My tank is 64 gal, footprint 36X18, which most likely won't be big enough for him in the long run. Not knowing enough about plecos except that most get huge is why I haven't purchased anything other than the bristlenose I have in another tank, but I couldn't let this little fella live in horrible conditions or die so I took him off her hands. He is welcome to grow out a little in my tank if someone wants him in the future for a tank with larger fish, but at some point I think he may need a bigger home. We already have a large pleco (another rescue by the way

) in the 90 gal. so I don't want to put him in there. If all else fails I guess I will be buying another large tank, but hopefully someone will eventually want to give this survivor a home.

Gilraen Took · Post by **Gilraen Took** » 12 Aug 2006, 00:23

Huh, http://www.hans-adelt.de/hans/hobby/pleco.jpg .

THAT fish looks almost identical to mine. The only difference is the pattern on the body is differnt by a long ways. So yeah, same body, fin shape and basically the same pattern. That help any?

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 14 Aug 2006, 09:44

Gilraen Took wrote:Huh, http://www.hans-adelt.de/hans/hobby/pl*co.jpg .

THAT fish looks almost identical to mine. The only difference is the pattern on the body is differnt by a long ways. So yeah, same body, fin shape and basically the same pattern. That help any?

I'd call that one a Pterygoplichthys pardalis too - what is it listed as on the original web-site [or isn't it named?]

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Mats