Another pleco question

[lyquidphyre]

Do they change color and patterns?

I just realized looking at the pictures I took when I first put him in my 29 gal that he was more stripped and darker. He was mainly dark brown/black with subtle streaks of a lighter color.. now he is as spotted as a leapord.

Why the change?

 

[Allivymar]

Usually they'll change due to environmental differences. My plec (a liposarcus) was a dark brown with brown patches initially. When I moved him to a diff tank with diff substrate color, he got a lot lighter and his pattern became more obvious. Its a camoflauge thing Age will also bring changes too.

 

[lighter]

The change could be stressed induced if not due to the surrounding environment.

 

[Terry]

I would say that the colour change is down to enviromental surroundings as Alli said, but lighter is also right pleco's will change colour when stressed. When stressed i think they tend to go darker but i may be wrong.
I have loads of differant size pleco's in my store and even though they are nearly all the same type they all have differant markings and this is down to there inviroment.

 

[bada]

I agree. Lots of fish change colors depending on how they feel. Mine changes colors when the light is off.