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The real Ancistrus leucostictus

Posted: 19 Dec 2012, 10:35
by wijnands
I got myself involved in a discussion on a Dutch forum with someone who's convinced he's got a leucostictus.

Now I know that planetcat states that this species is not in the trade but I am wondering what a real leucostictus would look like and how to tell the difference.

I found the source of the identification online here: http://ia700307.us.archive.org/0/items/ ... ebm05brit/

That states:

18. Chaetostomus leucostictus.
D.l/7. A. 4. P. 1/6. L.lat.25.
Head much depressed, rather longer than broad; occipital and
nuchal regions without any prominence ; the length of the head is
more than one-third of the total (without caudal). Snout broad,
much depressed, granulated above, with a narrow soft-skinned margin
and with a few short tentacles. Eye of moderate size, its diameter
being two-fifths of the width of the interorbital space. Interoperculum
with about seven non-flexible, short, curved spines, the
strongest being much shorter than the eye. Thorax and belly entirely
naked. Dorsal fin as high as long, the length of its anterior
rays being much less than that of the head ; the length of its base is
more tban its distance from the second fin ; there are seven scutes
between the two fins. Caudal fin obliquely truncated ; the pectoral
spine extends to the base of the ventral. Eleven scutes between anal
and caudal ; the lateral scutes of the body with rough striae, but without
keel ; posthumeral ridge very obtuse. Black ; pure white dots
are scattered over the whole body and over all the fins.
Essequibo.
a. Three inches long From Mr. Ehrhardt's Collection.


Now I don't know who Mr. Ehrhardt is but it's not the famous Wilhelm Ehrhardt who was born in 1860.

We got one image:
Image
Which seems to be shot during a field expedition (http://silurus.acnatsci.org/ACSI/partic ... aj/CV.html scroll all the way down)

And that's pretty much all we know.

To my untrained eye this is a pretty vague species description. Is there a way for a relative layman like me to see when I got a picture of a real leucostictus?

Re: The real Ancistrus leucostictus

Posted: 19 Dec 2012, 11:53
by har_eh
Maybe you could add some of his pictures here with his permission?
Here's a link from someone who breeds them:
http://www.akvarista.cz/web/atlas/detail/?id=237

Re: The real Ancistrus leucostictus

Posted: 19 Dec 2012, 12:26
by wijnands
Interesting.

http://www.aquaforum.nl/ubb/ultimatebb. ... tml#000368 has the pictures. If I look at them I miss the flat nose and the white dots. On the other hand, what is it?

Re: The real Ancistrus leucostictus

Posted: 19 Dec 2012, 13:00
by Raph
Hi,

First you have to consider type specimens. Here is the holotype: http://acsi.acnatsci.org/base/getthumbn ... get=133570. As you can see, your specimen does not match at all (look at details in fins and snout margin...).

Cheers
Raph

Re: The real Ancistrus leucostictus

Posted: 19 Dec 2012, 16:15
by wijnands
Distinctive eyes though. Bit of a puzzler to me. Would preservation methods play a role here?