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I just bought this lovely pleco which I believe is a Leporacanthicus, could someone kindly help me identify the species? Thank you in advance.

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Jools

Thank you. Great news, I was hoping it would be L. heterodon. There were three Leporacanthicus individuals in the dealer's shop but the other two were much darker in colouration so I was not sure about the species. Hopefully it will settle down quickly as it looks a bit skinny ( I assume it is wild caught). Cheers.

I read somewhere that females are darker colored then the males. I have a pair at home and it seems to be true

Yes, if you want more than one, it's probably wise to buy the others too, if you have tank space, especially if you believe your LFS won't be getting any more heterodon. Yes it's a gamble that they aren't the same spp., but if they are, then you're in luck.

God luck with your new fish. It's impressively beautiful.

Cheers, Eric

JAC: Yes, I have read that colour differences can be used to differentiate between male and female, however I expected this to be more subtle, the other two fish were definitely darker. Since you have a pair are there any other differences I should look for? The other two fish in the shop were slightly larger then the one I got (which I suspect is a male).

ERIC: This is the first time ever I see a L. heterodon and I visit 6 shops regularly. So will definitely go back to the shop and have a closer look at the other individuals if still available.

Thank you both for your advise.

I have a trio of these (2F & 1M) that I've been keeping for about two years now. At 4 inches, my females have fuller bodies compared to the male's tapered appearance. Moreover, the females tend to be lighter in colouration compared to the male. I also observed these colour difference in my trio of L091s as well, even in their stress colouration.
Perhaps you need to keep yours for a while and keep an eye for physical changes such as head and body shape to truly determine its sex. By the way, what size is it?

Hi Tagamasid,

Thank you for the pictures. The differences in the sexes appear to be rather subtle...I was expecting a difference in the length of the snout which is apparent in L joselimae...anyway, my fish is about 2.5 inches long. Cheers