ID: my 9 Otocinclus

[balous]

Hi,
I have 9 Otocinclus since today (my first Otos). At the moment they are in a 45l tank.
Because I want to buy some more for a 240l tank I need an identification for them.
Hope the pics are good enough.
Regards
Michaela

[Mike_Noren]

Otocinclus hoppei

[James0816]

Mike would be better than I but sure looks very close to Mariae to me.

[Mike_Noren]

Very large diamond-shaped spot at the tail = hoppei.




Nearly identical in pigmentation to a vittatus but may have incomplete dark line along the side = mariae.




Smaller dark spot divided into one half-moon shaped and one triangular spot, and the dark line does not continue into the caudal fin = macrospilus.

[Janne]

Sorry to hijack the thread but I have a question

The distance from Belém area where the O. hoppei are exported from (origin Rio Tocantins drainage) to Rôndonia is very large with states like Mato Grosso/Amazonia between, the picture above of O. hoppei state that B is from Rôndonia and A the lectotype from Belém.

So my question, could B, be a miss identification?

Janne

[Mike_Noren]

I don't know the specifics in this case, but things like that happen, yes. For instance, O. hoppei was described in 1939, and early authors often described purchased or donated fish, frequently with vague or erroneous capture localities. Another possibility is that there may be several species with the characters Schaeffer considered diagnostic for hoppei.

[balous]

Hi,
wow, so many informations, thank you.
I have some new pics because now they have the right colour
and not the fright colour.
They eat very good and I´m really happy about.
Yesterday evening Vallisneria with algues on it and today
spinach mixed with a ser* viformo and dried on a stone.
Regards
Michaela