help sexing ID L102?

[mpfsr]

I'm fairly sure this is a L102 snowball pleco, but I'm for sure not even close to knowing for sure. I was told when it was given to me it was a female snowball but not knowing what L number it was. After looking at the pictures here I do believe it is a L102 but not sure if female or not due to it having several odontodal's on its pectoral fins. Any help would be much appreciated.

thx

[tagamasid1023]

Based on this single photo, it is a male. Your initial observation is correct, the prominent odontodes on the pectoral fins confirm this. More like an L201 but more photos are needed to confirm.

[mpfsr]

thx for the info. here are some current pictures

The first picture in the post was when I first got the fish about 6 months ago.

[tagamasid1023]

Based on the additional pictures, you have a stout male L201. Your first post shows the L201 in its stressed colouration, which is absolutely normal. Nevertheless, it looks healthy and sexually mature now. Good luck!

[pleco_breeder]

I agree it's L201. However, the fish is female. This group is notorious for long odontodes on both male and female with the males having them in much greater quantities. The easier way to sex these is the shape of the head in relation to the body. Males have a more bulged area just anterior of the interopercular odontodes and the body tapers back from this. Females lack the bulged area and the body is normally straight till past the ventral fin base where it begins to taper. The exception would be a ripe female where the body bulges slightly behind the pectoral fins.

Larry

[jac]

It is not

Hypancistrus inspector

, which have a forked tail and black seams on the fins.
Yours is most likely

Hypancistrus sp(l201)

.

[Barbie]

And most definitely a female. I have a female L46 with odontodes to even put this girl to shame. It is definitely not an always sort of determining factor, IME.

Barbie