info please on Taiwanese Pleco

[mushroomfarie]

I bought a Taiwanese pleco a few months back. I have been trying to find information on him. I have had absolutely no luck at all. If anyone knows anything about them or a place that I could find out please let me know. I am thinking that since Taiwan is mostly salt water he might do ok in my brackish molly tank. I can't be sure though and would rather be safe then sorry. Please Please Please any information at all would be helpful.

 

[mayreee]

Are you sure that is the name of him? If it were his real name I think you would be able to find some info on him. I googled it and didn't find one good page. Also I have never heard of a slatwater or brackish water pleco.

 

[Fruitbat]

There are no native 'plecostomus'-type catfish in Asia at all. Is it possible that you bought what is being sold as a 'Chinese Pleco' or 'Butterfly Pleco'? If you did then you've probably got a Hillstream Loach of some type or the other.

These are loaches from very fast-moving streams and rivers in Asia that prefer a strong current, lots of aeration, and algae-covered rocks to nibble on.

Here are some links to some pictures of these fish:
http://www.loaches.com/species_pages/gastromyzon_ctenocephalus.html
http://www.loaches.com/species_pages/gastromyzon_sp.html

 

[mushroomfarie]

I know for a fact that it was sold as a taiwan pleco. I also found out that pleco was just recently found in taiwan. So one of 2 things either the pet trade is really speedy or I was lied to. I was able to find one google article on tiawanese pleco. All it said was that the first one was found there about a year back. I really wish I knew someone from tiawan so I could check at the source. SHUCKS!!!!!! He looks like a regular run of the mill brown pleco though.

 

[Toirtis]

There are no plecos in Taiwan, period. It is possible that you have a hillstream loach?

 

[mushroomfarie]

like I said he looks like a run of the mill brown/black pleco. I have never owned a loach. I don't even know what they look like. o'well Guess I am going to have a chat with my local pet store.

 

[FishLover14]

There is nothing such as a taiwanese pleco you probably have a loach- your lfs is mgiht be scamming people.

Dan

 

[Fruitbat]

OK....there's one other possibility that we're overlooking here. It is very possible that the Taiwan Plecos are escapees that have established a breeding population in Taiwan. There is a breeding population of 'pleco'-type cats in the area around San Marcos, Texas where there are spring-fed pools that are a constant temperature year-round. I suppose we could call them Texas Plecos!

 

[Menagerie]

I have never owned a loach. I don't even know what they look like.

Take a look at the links Fruitbat supplied you and see if that's what you have

 

[Pufferpunk]

I just purchased a hillstream loach today. Anything special I should know about them? Is $10 an ok price?

 

[Toirtis]

I just purchased a hillstream loach today. Anything special I should know about them? Is $10 an ok price?

$10 is a bit pricey...I am used to seeing them for $4-$6. Cool, highly oxygenated water with a current, and they are fairly on the carnivorous side diet-wise.

 

[Pufferpunk]

I guess they like to charge extra for oddball fish.

 

[Toirtis]

I guess they like to charge extra for oddball fish.

I think that it is probably off-season for collecting, so there supplier probably dinged them a higher wholesale which was then reflected in the retail.

 

[mushroomfarie]

He is definatly not a loach. He is missing the side fins and alot of other characteristics of loaches. He looks like a regular run of the mill pleco. I also don't understand the benifit the pet store has in lying. He one of the cheapest plecos they had. I am going to see if I can borrow a digital camera. I'll show you what he looks like.
I absolutly love him whatever he is. He is the most active pleco I have ever owned. (I have had plecos as long as I can remember.) He does a wierd swim. When I put his food disc in there he'll puff his fins all out and do a wierd shark like swim to get other fish away. i can't explain it well. You'd have to see it. Either way I'm going to have him for a long time.

 

[jsoong]

$10 is a bit pricey...I am used to seeing them for $4-$6. Cool, highly oxygenated water with a current, and they are fairly on the carnivorous side diet-wise.

Where in Calgary can you find hillies? I've been looking all over Edmonton without luck ... maybe I'll look in Calgary when next I visit.

 

[Toirtis]

$10 is a bit pricey...I am used to seeing them for $4-$6. Cool, highly oxygenated water with a current, and they are fairly on the carnivorous side diet-wise.

Where in Calgary can you find hillies? I've been looking all over Edmonton without luck ... maybe I'll look in Calgary when next I visit.

Just about everywhere, but usually only in the spring/summer....I have not seen one in 2-3 months now.

 

[jsoong]

Thanks Tortis .... Now I know not to bother looking till spring! I had been looking only for the last couple months & never found one!

 

[madasafish]

Another possibility we've been overlooking...

Fish, when bred in a location other than the one to which they are native, are often referred to by the breeding location. Example: German Blue Rams! Native to: South America... Bred in: Germany.

I believe I have heard of the Taiwanese Pleco. Though these are clearly not an endemic species (clearly!), some Taiwanese breeders may have had success with breeding the species, and may be able to sell them quite cheaply.

Why are they clearly not endemic to Taiwan??? I can certainly explain this in a couple of paragraphs, if you're interested...

Plecos are part of a family of South American fish called "Loricariidae". I work for a Loricariid ichthyologist part-time, so I can tell you 100% that these guys are native only to South America. They're also all tropicals, or sub-tropicals, so they like warm water.

Why couldn't they also be found in Taiwan? Because they are not found in Africa, Australia, Antarctica or India. These continents (which when they were connected many millions of years ago were called Gondwanaland) broke up well after Asia and North America broke away from Pangea 180 Million Years Ago. If we don't see Loricariid fish (or fossils of them) in Africa, India, Australia or Antarctica, the family of fish must have evolved after the split of Gondwanaland about 180 MYA. Therefore, they certainly couldn't be in Taiwan.

There's more fiddling with continent arrangement that could be done... but there's no doubt in my mind that Loricariids are not found in Taiwan.

That is... if you believe in evolution

My ex-girlfriend is Taiwanese, and could probably help out if you need her to translate a link written in Chinese or Taiwanese. Let me know.