Question about L066 "variants"

Proteus · Post by **Proteus** » 24 Oct 2009, 19:54

I'm very curious where online or books would have the best information on L-066 variants? Or any idea of getting a team of pros together and getting together new information if its needed.

I do have a group of 5 (possibility getting more with trade outs of my other plecs)

4 of them are from the same source- sold to me as breeding adults but they yet have not bred (I think I know why)

the 5th one I purchased already as an adult- He's now a monster! As his size is way bigger the size of other 4. I'm now thinking its a girl as he yet does not have "strong" ordonotes for its size I rarely see him as he's in the same tank as the sultans and is always in the best cave that's totally hidden from my view the other 4 is in another tank right now as I am afraid of putting him in with the same tank as the L046s as thats where the other 4 is at they never bother the L046s so I'm fine with that for the time being. (he's at least 6'') The others are at 4"-5" and they play nicer THAN any of my L134s

okay the issue I'm having right now is the 2 of the 4 have different markings but IS a L-66, and other 2 of the 4 matches the "big" one

I do not want to cross breed variants nor have them be passed around in this hobby if theres any offspring before I get the info, from my research so far, there are so many markings in the L066 group and I'm sure by now someone has recorded the variants. This sp. is so diverse. I do feel its important before they become too "diluted" in this hobby.

Any thoughts?

Proteus · Post by **Proteus** » 24 Oct 2009, 22:19

I'm going to start with 2 of them:

First "pair" I think matches the best so is one variant

Proteus · Post by **Proteus** » 24 Oct 2009, 22:25

2nd group

1 from the group of 4 and the other one was the 5th one

so a 2nd variant

1 of the 4 in the group- a 3rd variant
as its more yellow and compared to my other guys others never show the hint of yellow once... just this guy.

Proteus · Post by **Proteus** » 27 Oct 2009, 01:51

any one?

Proteus · Post by **Proteus** » 10 Jun 2011, 09:23

Bumping up this thread to see if anyone has input. The 4th one with the duckweed "hat" is gone now.

plecoboy · Post by **plecoboy** » 10 Jun 2011, 20:27

That last pic looks like a L333. I just posted a video on some b+w L333s about a month ago, many people thought they were L66s.

Proteus · Post by **Proteus** » 11 Jun 2011, 17:04

Was id'd several times as a L066 so I'll just go through my tank again and take better pictures when I do some aquascaping

and try to find the most recent photos of those guys as I did take some back in November but I still can't find that file. That guy does not show that yellow anymore though. He's all white like the others. That's why I stopped worrying after the years.

Proteus · Post by **Proteus** » 13 Jun 2011, 15:50

photos taken OCT 29th, 2010

one of them giving me the stare for bothering them

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 13 Jun 2011, 15:55

Is it me, or does one of them look like L260?

--
Mats

Proteus · Post by **Proteus** » 13 Jun 2011, 20:42

I had a suspection at first when I got her, but when I got the L260 male next to her its a difference in the markings. The L260 is more thinner and finer in their coloring comparison. Her lines are too thick and far to few in between to pass as a L260. She when put next to the L260 WC male, huge difference. They're in the same tank though. Working on that hypans situation and get everyone their own tanks back. I really want each pair to have their own tank as its really apparent that there are two or even three variants going on here.

One thing that bothers me about that one in question is she doesn't have that classic white "headband/neckband" that most hypans have going across their head region like the L260 doesn't have that either.

But if she/he is a L260 I would be dancing in joy and put my WC male together and give them the brand new 29g biocube tank to themselves.

MatsP should I post a thread for each pair on the ID section in this forum

Meloizias · Post by **Meloizias** » 16 Jun 2011, 20:40

Well that the thing. There are going to be natural variety in nature and until someone DNA tests every l number to identify what they actually are then our term for what is a hybrid and what isn't is void. Hypans breed together easily and since they have no or very few predators they will grow in habitat like one colony of say l46 and l201 collide and so we get a natural hybrid which couldn't be l333...

Unungy · Post by **Unungy** » 17 Jun 2011, 05:45

I don't think they are variants but common L66.
They will fit perfectly the L66 Family

Proteus · Post by **Proteus** » 17 Jun 2011, 18:03

Natural hybridization, that could be a possiblity. Would be interesting to see the L046xL201 offspring and what is recessive/dominant genes ha.

Saul: great for you to chime in and was hoping you were going to

Do you import any of the hypans species that usually have that usual band around their neck/head region and find that few individuals do not? Reason I'm asking is due to my source telling me they were purchased as wild caught before the ban occurred and its throwing me off about one of them not having that like the others.

Unungy · Post by **Unungy** » 19 Jun 2011, 04:01

Yes I do get fish that doesn't belong to any particular group, as they do look different from the rest of the shipment.
Normally they are placed aside in their own tank awaiting for new arrivals.

I have been able to find more fish that matches their description so they get grouped correctly to avoid any cross breeding but even then its not 100%.

Sorry for the late reply.

Proteus · Post by **Proteus** » 20 Jun 2011, 01:17

Saul:

Thanks for the reply! I'm sure if it does happen in the wild then this isn't going to be a big deal.

Cheers