PlanetCatfish.com

Hi!

I got a copy of Mergus Bd.5 and they feature a "Peckoltia" called Mega Clown also LDA19...ive never seen this fish at the shops! Is it hard to get? I wonder that it doesnt appear often with this great coloration...also not in L Number resource.

Hi!

Christian , maybe because of its catching place!!!
Isn't it Venezuela, maybe in a zone hard to get because of several reason!!
Cheers
Yann

Yann and Christian,
This fish is a mystery to me. I never saw it in my two years in Venezuela and never meet a Venezuelan that had seen one. Most of the fishes identified as "Venezuelan" in Aqualog are actually shipped mainly from Colombia. It is illegal to export any fauna from Venezuela, so any Venezuelan fishes you see (and there are not many!) were shipped out of the country against the law. I believe that there are a number of spp. collected in the upper Orinoco and brought across the river to Puerto Carreno, Colombia for export. There is no functioning government in that area in either Venezuela or Colombia.
-Shane

hmm...what fish is it anyway? is it in the catelog? Mergus states it as Peckoltia with high chance for it being Hypancistrus.

Hi!

Thanks a lot for these Info Shane regarding export form Venezuela, sure not the best place to make a fishy trip, well of course if you are willing to bring them back!!!

Christian: Yes It is believe to belong to the genus Hypancistrus, could well be as some external feature make me think at that.
I will investigate and keep you update on this!
Cheers
Yann

Hi!
Ok I questioned Erwin Schraml on that topic as he is the author of the pics!

The first ones he encountered back then were in a shipment of L129 from Venezuela, out of 100 L129 there were only 4 LDA19
He encountered them for the second time only last Novembre in a shipment again of L129 but this time from Colombia ( heading toward what Shane have told us toward the shipment out of Venezuela), this time he found only 2 of them

Erwin have doubt about LDA19 being a disctintive species rather than just a geographic or colour morph of L129
Still they tend to grow 1-2cm larger than L129

The one he has, he rather very shy , hide most of the time and do not get out often even when food is given.
LDA19 is not a vegetarian eater, he prefer bloodworm, tetra falkes and other typical "cichlid food".
Because of this and other feature , LDA19 is an Hypancistrus ( sensu lato)

Cheers
Yann

;) I'll get dental pics for you guys when I get one in the next month or so.

as to the actual destination, I've no idea.

Hi!
Yes Scott that would be great!
If you can make more for the Cat-elog gallery that would be also great!!!
Cheers
Yann

;) Jools ought to know anything on my page is fine for him to use.

but yes, I'll probably be getting a few in a month or so.

Well I could be wrong, but I seem to remember Oliver Lucanus saying at last years CSG convention that they were not to hard to find, but the fish pictured in aqualog was a bit of a one off and once brought into aquarium conditions, look nothing like pictured, hence you would perhaps match up with another L' number rather than LDA19 on first inspection.

Hi!

Is it sure that we are talking about LDA19? I know L129 Is not too hard to find. But like I say that are usually bring along with L129 and as contaminant. It is possible that one fish is very look alike ( L129 : in that case) but there is also many other L# looking like L129!
Cheers
Yann

I trust this importer very much, and barbie knows her plecos too. I'm not expecting L129, I've got 4 as it is. her camera's out for repairs, but hopefully will be back soon, or they'll be ready for shipping soon so i can get some pics