Can anyone ID this pleco?

[LydiaGreen]

I've been talking about posting pics of this pleco for a long time but, he finally held still long enough out in the open for me to get some pics of him.

My brother bought Ugh for my mother as a birthday present a little over a year ago. He was about an inch and a half long. I took all of my mother's mish/mash of various fish species from her community tank when she moved. Now, he's 9 inches long. I'm sure you're going to tell me he's a common but, I'm hoping not. I can handle housing a two foot pleco but, beyond that I'm not prepared.

Here's some pics of him.

http://www.aquaden.com/phpBB2/album_page.php?pic_id=634

http://www.aquaden.com/phpBB2/album_page.php?pic_id=635

http://www.aquaden.com/phpBB2/album_page.php?pic_id=636

http://www.aquaden.com/phpBB2/album_page.php?pic_id=637

I posted this on another forum I belong to and he seems to be uncommon and difficult to ID -- can anyone help me out?

Also, I apparently do have a common in my 55 but Ugh looks nothing like Grumpy and Grumpy has only grown about 5-6 inches in the last four years. Ugh is growing really rapidly. If it helps at all... he's a bit aggressive... I had to move him out of my 55 (where the loaches and goldfish are) because he has a taste for their slime coat... I put him in the 44 with the rainbows because they are fast and smaller so he can't get near them. Grumpy isn't aggressive at all but, that could just be differing personalities.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

It is asking for a username and password. Can you post other pics?

 

[TCTFish]

The photos are only viewable to members of that forum. Could you please post one of the photos here?

 

[LydiaGreen]

Sorry guys -- didn't know it would do that.

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/photopost/uploads/11159/Ugh1.jpg

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/photopost/uploads/11159/Ugh2.jpg

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/photopost/uploads/11159/Ugh3.jpg

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/photopost/uploads/11159/Ugh4.jpg

 

[TCTFish]

Well...the pleco certainly isn't the common pleco...which, BTW are from Trinidad. I want to say leopard pleco but he lacks certain colors. I'm going to aks my roommate if he can bring home the pleco ID book tonite and I'll look him up. There are hundreds of pleco species and many look a lot alike.

I actually registered, but haven't received the activation email notice yet and usually those things are immediate. Thanks for posting here.

 

[LydiaGreen]

Yeah, he's unusual alright. Now I don't feel so silly for not being able to figure it out myself on Planet Catfish. At first I thought he might be a hypostomus punctatus (Trinidad pleco)but, they really don't have the striped patterning on the tail and the dorsal fin is completely different.

 

[RoK]

I've seen those before, just looks like one of the spotted common's (they're not as common but are fairly common, depending where you go) to me. They get to about a foot long, the regular ones I think get a bit larger.

 

[Jchillin]

Taking a stab, but it looks like a rhino.

 

[LydiaGreen]

I've seen those before, just looks like one of the spotted common's (they're not as common but are fairly common, depending where you go) to me. They get to about a foot long, the regular ones I think get a bit larger.

Spotted common aka Hypostomus Punctatus aka Trinidad Pleco. Ugh's dorsal fin is different as is the patterning to his spots (his spots go in bands of darker ones and lighter ones).

 

[RoK]

All I know is I've seen some at a LFS that look just like that one and are about 12" long.

 

[LydiaGreen]

Taking a stab, but it looks like a rhino.

Not the rhino pics on planet catfish. I don't know... I guess the species doesn't really matter... I was hoping for an ID so I could determine his needs for tank size when he's a full-grown adult.

If it helps... I don't he's a nocturnal pleco because I see him out and about more during the day than at night (and I'm a nightowl so I'm up pretty late).

 

[lovemybarbs]

http://www.aquazoo.co.uk/page.cfm/Type=Fish/ID=395

Take a look at this one.

 

[LydiaGreen]

Sorry that's not it... those max out at 4-5 inches and he's double that size already.

Do you think this is him?

Thresher Pleco

http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/loricari/squalifo/750_1.PHP

 

[trotty]

I dont think thats him.... Although i have seen my Gibbecep pleco (sailfin)have stripes in a different environment. this is a photo of him.... he's about 11-12"

 

[RoK]

Hm, I guess it actually could be the thresher pleco.

 

[TCTFish]

http://www.aquarticles.com/images/Cuba Freshw Aq/p-06f Hypostomus plecostomus.jpg

My room mate did bring home the pleco ID book and I found your pleco Says they can get 20 - 25 cm, which is about 12", give or take. This is an average size which does not include the length of the tail. Males I'm sure get a few inches larger and perhaps in captivity may live longer and therefore grow bigger, but not whopping huge like the Trinidads.

Common name listed in the book is 'hypo pleco', which isn't much of a common name but it works. ID L number is L-109. L numbers are ID numbers according to species. Some, such as the hypostomus species may not have distinctive common names and may bear several subspecies. L numbers allow the wholesalers and retail stores know what they are ordering being there are hundreds of different species and subspecies of plecos. These L numbers are commonly used between wholesalers and retailers and shared globally throughout the industry. They are more reliable than the scientific name of the pleco.

 

[LydiaGreen]

L-109 on planet catfish says they get to be 6". There is WAY too much contradictory info out there.

I've decided that Ugh is either an "uncommon common" (different patterning and colouration due to breeding, local water where he's from, or water where he's living now) or a thresher of some type. Either way he'll be between 12 and 16" and I can live with that and provide a large enough home for him when he has fully matured.

Thanks for helping guys.

 

[TCTFish]

Lydia...You're 6" on a L-109 is coming from the internet, though not too far off from the lower end of their average size. 20 cm is almost 8". An under two inch difference isn't that contradictory. Look at the photo I provided. That photo, though is from the net, matches the photo in the Aqualog book on Loricariidae that I have, which matches the photos you have posted. From mouth structure, to spotting, to stripe pattern, to color, to shape, and width of head, body and lower body to tail and mouth, that is the pleco you have...a Hypostomus sp. plecostomus.

I looked on planet catfish and the name to the number is very different and there is no photo. It is possible the number has changed or the name has changed. The place of origin is the same so maybe it is just a name change. That happens occassionally. More notoriously with African cichlids though. There is an updated aqualog book with over 100 new entries. I can check this out with someone I know who has this updated version. I'm curious to know of the change in name.

BTW...Threshers have more color and irridescence. They have that nice lavendar gold sheen to them. Very pretty pleco and one of the more colorful I've ever seen.

All in all, as you stated, you're looking at an animal with a potential adult size of 12"...give or take a few. But I'm 99.9999% sure it's a Hypo.