PlanetCatfish.com

Just bought 2 plecos at the LFS and I believe they had both of them mislabeled. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

"Snowball Pleco" (I'm not sure what this one is)
http://home.wideopenwest.com/~pdnovak/Snowball0008.JPG
http://home.wideopenwest.com/~pdnovak/Snowball0013.JPG
http://home.wideopenwest.com/~pdnovak/Snowball0014.JPG

"Butterfly Pleco" (this looks kinda like a Gibbeceps but not sure)
http://home.wideopenwest.com/~pdnovak/Butterfly0010.JPG
http://home.wideopenwest.com/~pdnovak/Butterfly0014.JPG


I'm a little worried if it is a Gibbiceps because they get quite large and I'm not really looking for a fish over 8"

In the first set of pics are the spots that color or just photo that way?

Second set Gibbi. This is a butterfly pleco.

Yea, based on the info and pics in the Catelog, both of the fish are mislabled. I'm just trying to figure out what I have in case I need to return one or both of them.

The first one i think is L201.

The second is a juvenile gibby.

Maybe L-082 on #1?

I think the shape of the head rules out L082 Scobiancistrus sp.

other ones you should have a look at include L086/LDA14 and LDA31

magnum4 wrote:I think the shape of the head rules out L082 Scobiancistrus sp.

Yeah. The more I look at it the more I think you're right about that.

Thanks all. I really appreciate the help.

I think I'll have a trip back to the LFS tomorrow and let them know that instead of a 4" butterfly, they are selling people an 18" gibbi.

What has peoples experience been with LFS's buying back larger fish? I don't mind keeping the fish until its gets to be too big. I'd be willing to raise it if the LFS would give me an assurance that they'd buy it back in 2-3 years (or however long it took to grow)

I think the first one is <I>Hypancistrus inspector</I> but might be one of the pretty big spot <I>Baryancistrus</I> (but I just don't think so, it's a slim possibility). A shot of the suckermouth would provide 100% ID.

The second fish is a gibby, no doubt IMO.

Jools

I'll try to get a picture of the suckermouth. He hasn't been on the front or side glass, so it might have to wait til he goes up there.

Thanks.

I think you may be right. It does look like a Hypancistrus inspector (L201). When I did a search for that on this forum, other people had described the L201 as a "Snowball". But the Catelog gives "Snowball" as a L102.

Is "snowball" more of a common name used for different plecos such as the L201? Who knows, the LFS might have been correct.

HI!

Yeap absolutly no doubt about it, it is an Hypancistrus inspector.
L102 has about the same body pattern but with smaller spots and not as yellow as here. It is usually whit.
The maximum size is 10cm for Hypancistrus inspector and 15cm for L102.

Cheers
Yann

yannfulliquet wrote:L102 has about the same body pattern but with smaller spots and not as yellow as here. It is usually whit.

L102 also has black edges on the unpaired fins.

Jools

Hi!

Yeap forgot about this stuff also...
Cheers
Yann

The gibby looks a lot like my gibby. Mine was labeled as a sailfin at the pet shop but I'm not positive it is one. The spotting and coloring match mine. I'm new to collecting cool plecos though so I don't know my species yet.