Help wanted

[Snap]

Newbie to posting but have got lots of info from here before.

I need help identifying my new algae eaters. I have just had two fish delivered which were sold as otoclinclus but I am really not sure. They look nothing like my other otos and as they are in a ten gallon nano I want to be sure what they are and if they are suitable.

Pic hopefully shows the difference.

 

[foxyhasswag]

The back one is defo a oto front one looks more like a baby garra or sae

 

[Luananeko]

Back one looks like a baby common Oto (still has checkering pattern, but not full blown stripes like a Zebra Oto would have), front one looks like a Siamese Algae Eater.

 

[threnjen]

Front one looks just like baby SAE that I bought this weekend.
back one doesn't look like an oto to me but I can't really tell with the pic

 

[Luananeko]

Just did some checking around... Back one is definitely an oto, perfectly matches the pic on the profile for it on Badmanstropicalfish:

So there you go, SAE and Oto

 

[Snap]

Thank you for the responses.

Back fish in the pic is my baby oto from my usual lfs. I have two others I am sure are dwarf otos.

The one at the front I am pretty sure is not an oto even though it was sold as such. I have two of them and they are bigger and more slender than my existing otos plus a different more golden colour.

I have to be sure due to size of tank.

 

[threnjen]

Does it have a single pair of little barbels, or two pairs of barbels, or no barbels?
Are the fins clear or any coloration?
Is there a very distinctive gold line above the black line , or is it generally same color besides the black line?
Does the black line on its side extend all the way to the fork in its tail, or does it end at the base of the tail?

 

[Snap]

I have put a few more pics in an album and will try to describe better in the morning as both fish are hiding under the log now !

 

[Luananeko]

So you have one baby oto plus two dwarf otos (likely just males while the other is a female since males are half the size of the girls), plus the two that you're trying to identify? From the pic at the start of a thread it looks like a SAE, but going through your album it looks more like a chinese algae eater... If so, they turn into aggressive slime coat eaters once they mature.

 

[pip walters]

The front one looks to me like a young sucking loach AKA chinese algae eater. May be the photo, but it appears to have some dark spots on the body above and below the dark central line. Also, the dark line doesn't look as sharply defined as that of a sae.

 

[threnjen]

Is it like this?
This is a true SAE. Clear fins, one pair barbells (not two), lateral line that extends to fork of tail, no stripe above black lateral line, long and skinny

Edit: sorry from my comp I see this picture is awful.

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[threnjen]

Identifying the Siamese Algae Eater

I don't think it looks like a chinese algae eater at all. To be fair I have never SEEN a CAE.
http://www.fishlore.com/profile-chinesealgaeeater.htm

Edit: I looked at the pics again and I DO see what looks to be very tiny spots along his top. Is he spotty or is he all silvery/brown on his body except for the black lateral line?

If you can look at his mouth that will define him VERY well as all the different types have different barbels, or a sucker mouth.

 

[Snap]

They definitely have small spots that you can just about see in the pictures and the black line does not run into the tail. Still trying on the barbels as they are not being cooperative

 

[Coursair]

There are several species of Otos.

Planet Catfish is my go to site for IDs. I ended up with 2 or 3 different species of Otos at one point.

http://www.planetcatfish.com/common/genus.php?genus_id=49

I had O. affinis and O. vittatus for sure.

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[threnjen]

I forgot Pip Walters works in the fish trade so I am sure he would know.

Also I think the most important thing is... if it's not an oto of some kind... it's too big for the 10g. All those other types we talk about get much bigger

 

[Snap]

Thanks for the responses. That's exactly my problem that if they are not otos they are not suitable for my nano. I've looked through pics of different otos as I know I have two different types already but these new ones have a different body shape. They have sucker mouths not barbels and are more coloured and less flattened than my otos.
I bought them online as otos and the seller is saying they are so that leaves me with two fish who need rehousing

 

[pip walters]

I forgot Pip Walters works in the fish trade so I am sure he would know.

Also I think the most important thing is... if it's not an oto of some kind... it's too big for the 10g. All those other types we talk about get much bigger

Wll I am a man so I am always right haha.

Seriously though, obviously I see a lot of CAE and I am pretty sure. On one photo, it looks a little like.one of the flying fox species, but I am 99% sure it is the CAE. The dark bar breaks up as they mature.

 

[pip walters]

Thanks for the responses. That's exactly my problem that if they are not otos they are not suitable for my nano. I've looked through pics of different otos as I know I have two different types already but these new ones have a different body shape. They have sucker mouths not barbels and are more coloured and less flattened than my otos.
I bought them online as otos and the seller is saying they are so that leaves me with two fish who need rehousing

I would want my money back to be honest....... whatever it is, it isn't an otto! If I get chance I will try and photograph some CAE tomorrow to compare.

What species of ottos do you have currently?

 

[pip walters]

I have studied you photos again and I have changed my mind......

I am now 100% sure it is a CAE

From what I can see of the dorsal fin, it is the fin of Gyrinocheilus aymonieri

 

[Snap]

I have asked to return the fish but no reply as yet. Took this picture early and 100% certain they are not otos. They are roughly two inches already and will rapidly outgrow my tank. I agree they look a lot like the young sucking loach on the the seriously fish site.
I think my otos are O.vittatus & O. macrospilus but not 100% but they are little and so quick and they have a completely different shape to the new fish. You can see a couple in the album.