PlanetCatfish.com

hi, i recently bought some common bristlenoses , brown - lightbrown with cream spots .
i went into a petstore recently and saw 1cm bristlenoses at $7.50 , they look similar to the common one(same type of pattern on body and fins)

they are pitch black with white spots.
the only difference i can see between them is colour, they have same pattern.

i bought 2 of the small black with white pattern fish , i cant take a picture of them yet but they look really similar to this


also similar to this

can anyone please tell me , if these are the common bristlenose?

if they are the common bristlenose- the big difference in colour is genetic? or quality?

if they are a different species or form , ill buy more of them from the petstore, if its genetics , then ill buy more from the petstore and sell off my brown ones and keep black and white ones only and sell off any brown ones i get in spawns.

ps, they look really really similar to the first picture of the baby bristlenose

From the data available, it looks like you indeed have common BNs.

ok, but what is the cause of such a colour difference. in comparison the black and white ones look way better then the typical brown and cream spotted one.
the fact that its a baby bristlenose? genetics? food given to them to eat?

homeownage wrote:ok, but what is the cause of such a colour difference. in comparison the black and white ones look way better then the typical brown and cream spotted one.
the fact that its a baby bristlenose? genetics? food given to them to eat?

I think it's a little of both genetic and environmental including diet.
I have about 500 fry each of Ancistrus sp 3 and the Albino variant. Among that many fry minor differences are noticeable. I just assume that is normal.

what colour are your fry at the moment? brown or black? if they are black do they turn brown when they get older?

My normal color phase BN fry vary widely from very dark to light brown. The differences are very much mood related and dependent on the the background of the substrate they are on.

They also have a variable border of cream to yellow-white on the outer edge border of their dosal and tips of their tail fins. Sometime this is lacking as it was on the specimens shown in your photos.

Perhaps the one constant is their variability.

That's sounds a little bit like a Star light BN pleco. How big are the white dots and how do you know it's a BN pleco? Pleco that small don't have britles.

For my opinion, I guess after I have raised a few thousand Ancistrus sp#3 and the facts that they are the species usually encountered in shops at that size and low price plus the opinions given by some resident experts, I would accept the probability they are what they are.

If you want them to be a rarer species and a special find is your perogitive. The odds are against them being anything other than common bushynose, Ancistrus sp #3

yeah i had a feeling they were ordinary bn's but with genes to be black with white spots instead of brown with cream spots.
its all cool with me as long as they keep there black colour, i can get common brown bns for $3 that are three times bigger off local breeders so i was hoping these ones in the pet shops were different or of a better colour variety