Gold Nugget Pleco, L018, L085 - Baryancistrus sp. (L018) , 1989 by Julian Dignall, uploaded December 01, 2000
X marks the spot where collectors struck gold! The problem, if you could call it that, with the maps below is that there is more than one "X". There are in fact 3, this is because there are at least three gold nugget plecos. Oh, and they have 4 "L" numbers among them too.
X = L81 X = L177 X = L18 & L85
Although X marks the spot each one is between 80 and 100 miles away from its nearest neighbour. Perhaps "X" is for the Rio Xingú rather than precise locations! Anyway, L18, L81, L85 and L177 are all gold nugget plecos. The table below will hopefully help with identification. What you have to bear in mind is that the comparisons are only really useful when comparing similarly sized fish and that individuals patterning is very variable anyway. Aqualog's original Loricariidae - All "L" numbers actually has a good trio of pictures showing juvenile, sub-adult and adult of L18/L81. Look up L85 for these pictures. It should be noted that the pictures in Aqualog for all these L-numbers are accurate and good representations of the original fish. Alright so far, but what are the factors that differentiate these fish? The following table should help.
L018
This is the "common" gold nugget with medium sized spots. This is a picture of a juvenile. L018 is found in area around Altamira on the Rio Xingú. This is about 75 miles downstream (North) of where the Rio Iriri joins the Rio Xingú.
L081
This is the small spot gold nugget from the lower Rio Xingú. The yellow colouration on this fish (spots and fin seams) tends to be paler. This is a picture of a young sub-adult.
L085
These are adult L18, they are one and the same fish. The adult colouration is markedly different however. This is a picture of a young adult.
L177
This is the big spot gold nugget from the Rio Iriri tributary. The yellow colouration on this fish (spots and fin seams) tends to be a stronger yellow. This is a picture of a juvenile. Arguably the most cosmetically pleasing of the gold nugget tribe.
This all seems relatively straightforward, Corydoras keepers have been doing this sort of thing for years, right? Well, not exactly. The individual fish can also change colour - exactly the same fish as pictured on a dark piece of wood against a light background will look very different seconds later because it is now sitting on lighter gravel out in the open.
With identification being such a fraught, tentative process, it is perhaps reassuring to know that care of all of these fish is somewhat simpler if not less demanding.
According to Vires, ''Dimorphism is difficult to notice unless the fish are at full breeding size. Probably the easiest way to sex these fishes is by the shape of their foreheads. Males have a flatter, more leveled slope to their foreheads and are slightly wider. Females have a more rounded forehead and are slightly plumper when in spawning condition. There is no noticeable difference in odontodal growth in either species.''
These fish are grazers, but not in the sense that they eat only vegetation. They actually sift and chew at the film of organic matter on hard surfaces in search of higher protein foods. In the wild this would constitute a variety of foods from small insect larvae and crustaceans to other animals eggs and possibly even recently dead animals. With this in mind, frozen foods such as bloodworm and blackworm should be offered along with frozen prawns. Algae and plants are avoided, but cucumber and courgette appear on the accepted menu. Accepted food morsel size changes with age in all of these fish.
Gold nuggets are territorial to other bottom dwellers and downright vicious to other gold nuggets. This stems from a desire to find and defend the best spawning cave, so take this into account if you plan to introduce these fish into a catfish tank. They do well in a community environment that fits their other requirements. Be careful with adult fish, they can kill each other in a crowded space.
Although strong currents are needed for breeding attempts, only good water quality and a high temperature are required for this fishes successful onward maintenance. Thus, characins are good biotope fish but you could look further afield at discus and gouramis. Most other cichlids tend to over compete for food with these fish, so be careful especially when introducing new gold nuggets.
Again I can do not better than quote Vires, ''After having spawned this species off and on for nearly 3 years, I had not found the requirement which would make it possible to easily duplicate the success until late last year. Each time, in the past, the fish would dig caves under the same piece of slate mounted driftwood and spawn in my Hypancistrus zebra grow-out tank. Whenever the pair was removed to another tank to attempt a spawning , nothing ever resulted from the effort. This is where my theory about the effects of current came in.
When setting up a new tank system, in an attempt to produce commercial numbers of several species, I intentionally oversize the pump to guarantee a good oxygen supply for all the fishes in the system. However, I had to find a place for my breeders while I made spray bars for the tanks and the fish were left overnight with only a direct flow from the water inlet. The next morning, upon inspection to see if everyone survived what I though would be stressful conditions, I found a cluster of eggs laid in the bottom of the tank in front of a rock. From that point on, convincing these fish to spawn has not been that difficult. Once a pair of fish is conditioned and have found a suitable spawning suite, the addition of a supplemental powerhead aimed at the cave is all that is required.
Raising the fry is not very difficult, but this is a long process. They will not reach beyond 2 inches within 6 months of age. Feedings should be given regularly with baby brineshrimp initially and the food size increase as the fry gain some size.''
2006-03-16 00:00:00 (species record created: 2001-04-19 00:00:00)
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December 2000
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This all seems relatively straightforward, Corydoras keepers have been doing this sort of thing for years, right? Well, not exactly. The individual fish can also change colour - exactly the same fish as pictured on a dark piece of wood against a light background will look very different seconds later because it is now sitting on lighter gravel out in the open.
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