Identifying Pleco

[Aquafrontosa]

Needing help identifying this black pleco with white spots. Resembles gold nugget but has white spots insted of yellow. It was sold as peppermint but favors snowball more

[Heribertogj]

Seems like L253 to me...
http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/im ... ge_id=2902

[Aquafrontosa]

A l 253 is yellow in color unlike this pleco which is clearly black with white spots. Still seeking identity

[m1ke715m]

my guess would be hypancistrus contradens

or maybe L-142

[Richard B]

I would be wary of placing too much emphasis on the colour of the spots as this can be impacted on by the fishes health, the diet & the water conditions.

What water parameters do you have? I'm thinking maybe hard & alkaline (as it looks like a tanganyikan cichlid in the background)

[racoll]

I wouldn't rule out

Scobinancistrus sp(l253)

.

Getting some better photos, including one of the mouth would help a lot.

[Suckermouth]

I agree. I don't have L253 but it looks like it could have white spots. IMO, it's not H. contradens or L142 either.

I also want to point out that Heribertogj works with plecs in the Xingu, so he probably is pretty accurate.

[racoll]

My first instinct was

Scobinancistrus sp(l253)

, also. Might be the prominent nares?

[Jools]

A l 253 is yellow in color unlike this pleco which is clearly black with white spots. Still seeking identity

I'd go with

L253

and certainly a species of

Scobinancistrus

. Colour of the spots is variable.

Jools