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My wavy zebra L173, tank-bred from Germany.

Head shape, larger eyes and mouth make me think this is L199.

Jools

This is what are exported as L173 from Brasil, Datz made a mistake and have admit that in an article in their own magazine when it comes to put L173 together with L46 H. zebra. L173 are a valid species and that is what I think you have bought.

Janne

Jools wrote:Head shape, larger eyes and mouth make me think this is L199.

Jools

Thanks much Jools... yes, i agree with you that these features do match with the photo of L199 i have seen. The puzzling thing is its colour pattern: this specimen is purely black and white which seems to be different from the L199 as described in books...

Janne wrote:This is what are exported as L173 from Brasil, Datz made a mistake and have admit that in an article in their own magazine when it comes to put L173 together with L46 H. zebra. L173 are a valid species and that is what I think you have bought.

Janne

Thanks Janne... a friend from Germany updates me with L173. Please find the picture of L173 from transfish.de
by the renowned expert Andre Werner

http://www.transfish.de/LCode/nummernneu/L173a.jpg

It looks different from my specimen...

Hi!

Because the picture of Andre show a full grown adult and yours is still rather young!
L199 isn't so black and white but rather dark brown and grey!!

Cheers
Yann

I don´t know which L-Number is, but... it´s so beautiful.

After a few years, i finally managed to breed this species

updates

Excellent, well done! Do you have any pictures of the adults as well?

Cheers,

Jools

Jools wrote:Excellent, well done! Do you have any pictures of the adults as well?

Cheers,

Jools

Thanks and sure, here you are (the male is the one i posted a long time ago in this thread):

congrats! what cute babies!!

updates of the BB

very nice and beautiful pleco. I would love to get my hands on some... too bad financials hold me back atm.

nvcichlids wrote:very nice and beautiful pl*co. I would love to get my hands on some... too bad financials hold me back atm.

Thanks nvcichlids. L173 is a species which is truly amazing.

If these aren't the L173 variant of H. zebra sold by the commercial breeder in Germany who sells them for the same price as his H.zebra I hope you got a good deal for these pretty fish.
I don't agree with those who think these are L199. I think these are a Brazilian Hypancistrus and most likely a variant of H. zebra or a very close relative.

Fry are really difficult to identify when small. My L333 fry look just like these for the first 4 weeks or so.