Unknown Hypancistrus sp. - Orinoco basin

[Unungy, posts: 633]

Hi Guys.

Orinoco basin, I've seen a few of these going to Asia but do we have a name for them?

[HaakonH, posts: 279]

H.sp."Platinum", or in Japan H.sp."Emperor". Nice! Just one?

Haakon

[Unungy, posts: 633]

I got a group of 3, hopefully I can allocate them to a good breeder.
The other two are still young.

[HaakonH, posts: 279]

Too bad you're in the US then, I'd like to breed them

Haakon

[Unungy, posts: 633]

too bad man.
You'll be a good candidate.

[pleco22, posts: 125]

Hi,

I think that could be H. sp "platinum" from venezuela.

They are close to L 129/340 but they are very rare.

If you couls send them to germany - I have some caves for them

Regards

[Unungy, posts: 633]

I think you're right. H. sp "platinum"
The smaller ones are also very nice. I'll try to take pics of them soon.

[Unungy, posts: 633]

The smaller ones look more "Yellowish", it is kind of odd if you compare both of them.

Could it be that the smaller ones are something different?

[MatsP]

I'd say that's L340 - any reason why they should be something else?

--
Mats

[Unungy, posts: 633]

Hi Matt.

Yes I don't think its a L340 because of its pattern.
If you take a close look at the wavy lines and the dots of a typical L340, they aren't present. Also the white markings on the body are much thicker than a normal L340.

[Yann]

Hi!!

I do believe they are just a local population of L340
Still beautifull but nothing more or else
Cheers
Yann

[Unungy, posts: 633]

Hi Yann.

Maybe you're right or NOT, as very few specimens get collected or found in the wild. We don't get enough data to compare with other specimens of the same kind.
Their origin is uncertain that is for sure, or as any good fishmen won't provide much details of the true location.

However there are some clearly distinctive markings on them that are very different than L340 or is it just me that I see it this way.

[har_eh, posts: 71]

great looking fish you got here, Saul - Would love to adopt them

[Unungy, posts: 633]

great looking fish you got here, Saul - Would love to adopt them

Thank you very much Sir.
I am sure you, Pleco22, Larry and many others will do a wonderful job of breeding them. I would love to get a good group of them first to decide their final destination.
I have noticed that they have the ability to turn very white or yellowish. My very first picture is very yellowish but the rest are more "white", this also happen when they are in my tanks as I don't know if they are white or yellow markings at times.

The same case happen to the smaller fish in the picture, notice he is very yellowish? almost looks like a total different specie?

[HaakonH, posts: 279]

I wonder if it's another example of how some Hypancistrus forms, in this case i.e. L340, sometimes occur as strikingly beautiful one-offs among a large number of ordinary ones. We have seen it with several Xingu forms, maybe it can happen in the Orinoco forms too?

If we knew wether H.sp."Platinum" is found in the wild together with L340 or not, we would perhaps be wiser. If this form is found in a different place where other Hypancistrus aren't present, it's very exciting. L340 has been bred many times in aquariums, but we don't see much offspring like these being offered to the public. I guess if L340 carries genes which can make some individuals look like this we would maybe have seen more evidence of that by now?

So this is maybe a form of L340 found at a certain location, or indeed a different species, but It doesn't seem like the regular L340s in the trade produce any offspring looking like these? I look forward to learning more about them though! If someone breeds a group of H.sp."Platinum" it will be very interesting to see the variation in the offspring.

Haakon

[Yann]

Well!

From my point of view L340 is just a geographical variation of Hypancistrus debilittera and even if many would disagree, the differences would fit what could be accepted for variation within a species.

If you look how much Hypancistrus deblittera can differ in term of colour variation, with some having almost no marking looking all dark brown and other would have colour similar to H. furunculus or L270.

While L340 and H. debilittera are a same species can be debatable, these Hypancistrus would really fit one variation expected for L340.
If coming from a different location he could probably benefit from a new L number, but "scientifically" it would be the same, just like what can be seen as sabaji.

Again make no mistake...I favour keeping geographical population seperatly in tanks, but there are no reason to consider them different species because of this.

Cheers
Yann

[Acanthicus, posts: 439]

However there are some clearly distinctive markings on them that are very different than L340 or is it just me that I see it this way.

Markings and patterns aren´t from any worth when it comes to the ID of a wormlined Hypancistrus. H. sp. "Platinum" will in my opinion turn out as a beautiful variety of L 340.

[Unungy, posts: 633]

hmmmm I'm afraid that patterning and making is all we have at the moment until further species are collected.
I can see the same thing happening with L98, L236 and L173. The only difference is that we are talking about a colombian\venezuelan pleco this time.

[Janne]

This is what I call LDA19... maybe a nice variety of L340, color change with water parameters and mood (many pleco's can be white, brown or yellow of the same specie).

Janne

[Yann]

Hi!

Yes and since LDA 19 and L340 are considered as the same...
The pattern of these fish can widely evolutated depending on their mood...

I have seen many L340 arriving with this "platinium" colour and after a few weeks once they had settle for a while...they would look like your last set of pic...

this is how my L340 arrived:


and this is how it looked after a while:


and in other conditions:


Cheers
Yann