Gold Nugget, but which one?

[clydeboy]

My wife very kindly bought me a gold Nugget plec for my christmas and he is getting along fine, feeding on courgette, cucumber, nuggets and wafers, even having a go at some frozen mussels as well.
Measures about 2 inches in total, maybe slightly more and has certainly grown in the 3 weeks I've had it
Having looked on the cat-e-log I've decided it/he/she is an L018 but wanted to check, just in case anyone asks when I'm showing him off.

Ian

[racoll]

Baryancistrus xanthellus

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[clydeboy]

I know it's a Baryancistrus Xanthellus but wondered whether it was L018 or L177, as I was under the impression that they are very similar but different fish. The lfs just had it as a Golden Nugget plec.
To be honest I don't care which it is as It's such a cracking fish, if not a bit shy, but when it does put in an appearance it looks stunning.

cheers
Ian

[MatsP]

Scientists say that L177 and L18 are the same thing, they just vary to some degree between bigger spots and smaller spots, and there are probably all manner of different variants between the "distinctive L177" and "distinctive L18" - what I mean by that is that if you take your "typical L177" and "typical L18", there are others that would sit "inbetween" these.

Yours does look more like L18 than L177, in my experience.

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Mats

[clydeboy]

Thanks Mats
I couldn't figure it out using the cat-e-log as I couldn't really tell the difference between the L018 pics and the L177 pics. They both looked the same.
I take it "sexing" will need to wait until the fish is a good bit bigger?

Ian

[MatsP]

That's because all of the pictures for L18 and L177 are on the same page.

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Mats