PlanetCatfish.com

lately (last couple of years in the USA), i've been seeing baby catfish sold as "sailfin" or "gibbiceps", and they seem to have a vague or softer spotted pattern compared to the more Fantastic Four "Thing" type reddish circular grid pattern that you see traditionally. in addition, some fish seem to have yellowish spots on a brown background (but are hardly comparable to Gold nuggets/Sunshine types), and seem to have the gibbiceps dorsal. i must assume that these "blurry-ier" spotted babies are farm- bred Gibbiceps...? I've seen them sold as "Gibbiceps" and "Sailfin" or "Yellow- spotted Sailfin"... most often at Petsmart (ugh! I know... but i feel sorry for the poor loaches and catfishes there... )

since it cost only $4.49 (actually should have been $5.99 but the girl liked me or was stupid or both), i bought a cute little Gibbiceps (definitely a Gibbiceps) against my better judgement, and i like to experiment ... big dark spots on a lighter body with reddish fins... the spots seem more vague than normal

my questions are , (1) are these farm raised babies that i am seeing and the more "normal" types wild caught, , or are they trying selective breeding or something?

(2) what will this gibbiceps look like when it is bigger? am i just wasting tank space with an inferior fish? it is cute, and actual comes out during the day and sticks to the glass, and eats some algae on the glass... i miss that...

I think you have it pretty much right they are being farm bred in florida. they have been for a few year's. I've also noticed what you'r talking about the faded coloration. I work at a whole saler and I see 1000's come in like that. Actually they look so faded we don't even order them any more.there's to many other's with better color to pick from. It's a real shame because a wild (colorwise)gibbicep's is a really sharp looking pleco!!! That's what I think anyway. Oh by the way WELCOME to planet catfish.I'm kinda new myself I love this site people are awsome and I can't begin to tell you how much I've learned

I really don't know about the selective breeding in Florida. I thought that they were left in large ponds, pretty much left alone to breed without interference. I do not know for sure though.

Hi,

Personally I don't like taking home wild fish. Past experience has steered away. Where as wild are nicer, they can harbour nasty diseases (not always). At least with tank bred they are acclimatised to tank conditions properly.

Simon

noki wrote: in addition, some fish seem to have yellowish spots on a brown background (but are hardly comparable to Gold nuggets/Sunshine types), and seem to have the gibbiceps dorsal.

These may be a separate species, Glyptopterichthys joselimaianus, that I've seen as farm-bred fish on occasion. Over the past couple of years I saw quite a few batches of little Glyptopterichthys that weren't gibbiceps. I can only assume that someone got some broodstock in and found they were just as easy as 'Gibbis' to breed in ponds.
Pete

I can only assume that someone got some broodstock in and found they were just as easy as 'Gibbis' to breed in ponds

Apparently they are. Back when I was in Singapore, you could get <i>G. joselimaianus</i> for almost the same pice as those ugly <i>Liposarcus</i> fellas (a little more than US$2 apiece).

Silurus wrote:

I can only assume that someone got some broodstock in and found they were just as easy as 'Gibbis' to breed in ponds

Apparently they are. Back when I was in Singapore, you could get <i>G. joselimaianus</i> for almost the same pice as those ugly <i>Liposarcus</i> fellas (a little more than US$2 apiece).

thanks, you are almost certainly correct. I have probably seen both Gibbiceps and joselimaianus farm raised babies at the chain Petsmart and a few other places sold as "sailfin" or some such. they still are better looking than the farm-raised greyish Liposarcus, which most people have only seen as examples of Pl*cos. are the "Rhino Plecs" also farm-raised, since they are the same genus as the gibbiceps also?

are "Bristle-Nose" Ancistris species farm-bred also, which deteriates their patterns, or all they just ugly anyway? i've seen a small bristle-nose that i think is the same as the "star light" and was quite nice in a subtle way... but have seen little since, these little bristle-noses' would make much better common catfish for small basic tanks, than the over foot long monster Liposarcus.

Glyptoperichthys joselimaianus are usually labled as "gold spot sailfins" around here.Most of my lfs stock both at around the same price.

Can anyone recommend a good place to get a "true" gibby online? None of the stores in my area carry them.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, you have to put your location in your profile. We can't help you much if we don't know where you are (I'm sure you're not going to pay exorbitant prices to have the fish shipped from another continent, especially for a regular gibby).

Well spoken. A very good point. I should have thought of that myself. Sorry!

Albuquerque, NM, USA.