PlanetCatfish.com

Ok...This was an unlabeled "pl3co" at my localy owned LFS (the owner tends to order "odd" stuff")

I hand caught the fish out of the tank at the store (I've had bad experiences with nets and catfish), and it has some impressive spines it can shoot from under it's operculum...I assume (and I'm probably wrong) that this means it is an Ancistrus species...(only because all my other BN plecos had these "spines" they could extend when threatened)

Let me know what pics of what parts would be helpful in identification...here's a few I snapped this evening (I didn't want to disturb him too much since he's "new" to the tank)

I agree with the Genus ID - although all Ancistrinae have opercular odontodes, so it's not quite sure that it's an Ancistrus only from that, but body shape tells me that it's almost certainly Ancistrus.

As for species, there are unfortunately more than a single species that would be a potential match, but one that is close would be L182 . It MAY well be impossible to tell if it really is that species or another one - it would be really useful to know the country (or even better river) of origin, as that would at least be able to RULE THINGS OUT.

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Mats

I believe the fish is not Ancistrus, but is a Pseudoancistrus spp..


Perhaps LDA-32, they have been available on lists lately.

to me it looks closer to L183, Starlight Bristlenose Catfish

more photos will tell. ;)

Hi!

if this fish has odontodes like what can be found on Ancistrus, and by looking at the overall shape of the fish, it is pretty likely you have an Hopliancistrus sp L17 coming from the Rio Xingu!!

Cheers
Yann

yannfulliquet wrote:Hi!

if this fish has odontodes like what can be found on Ancistrus, and by looking at the overall shape of the fish, it is pretty likely you have an Hopliancistrus sp L17 coming from the Rio Xingu!!

Cheers
Yann

Going through the suggestions and doing some searching on my own, I tend to agree with this suggestion. I think you have the correct genus if nothing else.

If I remember corectly there were 3 "points" on each odontode.

I've also ruled out the "starlight" as it has yellow on the dorsal fin and my specimen lacks this...

The image they have here for L17 looks exactly like what I saw when I picked him up...http://www.transfish.de/L1-25.html

Yes, an Hopliancistrus to me.

I have to ask....What are these spines for? Are they purely self defense? Are they dangerous?

Well...I was hoping for a better pic, but this shot with my hand in focus (not the darn fish!)...I'm really gonna kick myself if I just stressed him out too much, but I had to get an image of these things!

Seedy wrote:I have to ask....What are these spines for? Are they purely self defense? Are they dangerous?

Bump...perhaps this should go to "South America" Loricaids (Spelling?)

The spines are used for "fighting" [males fighting over territories for example] and almost certainly also as a defense mechanism when captures (as you see when you're holding the fish). If you imagine that you were a bird trying to swalling the fish, you'd probably spit it out before it got eaten - survival!

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Mats

well...I knew he wasn't eating when I took him as a rescue from my friends fish store...I was hoping I could save him, but unfortunaly he continued to decline, even refusing the medicated food I was attempting to force feed him as he declined in health( I suspect internal parasites )

I'm really bummed 'cus I'm not used to loosing fish, and I feel a special guilt when I know the fish was wild caught...

I do appreciate everyone's help here in Identifiying him...I suspose someone could have probably used his remains as (from what I've gathered) there is not much info on this species, but I gave him that traditional "burial at sea, by way of porcelain shrine...