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I've been given a Whiptail as a present by a well-meaning family member, but it's not what he thought he'd bought. Can anyone ID definitively, please?

?

Jools

Hi,

Jools wrote: ↑08 May 2017, 09:52

Hemiloricaria sp`amazonia`

?

I'm quite sure that it's not.
But with these pictures it's close to impossible to ID.

Do you have a picture that shows it completely and from the side ?

Cheers,

kamas88 wrote: ↑09 May 2017, 21:09

Do you have a picture that shows it completely and from the side ?

Not yet, but I'm working on it. It's not being particularly cooperative.

Not brilliant, but these are the best I've managed with it so far.

What is he eating ?

Hi,

this is certainly no Hemiloricaria sp. "Amazonia".
The pattern of the fins and snout shape is quite different.

I rather see similarities to Hemiloricaria eigenmanni, but I'm far from being sure...

Cheers,

Maybe?

Fundulopanchax76 wrote: ↑19 May 2017, 15:09 What is he eating ?

Sweet potato

Both slightly out of focus, but from the side.

Hi,

medaka wrote: ↑19 May 2017, 19:10Maybe?

Hemiloricaria castroi

the pattern would indeed match well with the species description of H. castroi.
However, the snout should be more acute in that species.

Cheers,

kamas88 wrote: ↑25 May 2017, 15:21 Hi,

medaka wrote: ↑19 May 2017, 19:10Maybe?

Hemiloricaria castroi

the pattern would indeed match well with the species description of H. castroi.
However, the snout should be more acute in that species.

Cheers,

Do they hybridise?

kamas88 wrote: ↑25 May 2017, 15:21 Hi,

medaka wrote: ↑19 May 2017, 19:10Maybe?

Hemiloricaria castroi

the pattern would indeed match well with the species description of H. castroi.
However, the snout should be more acute in that species.

Cheers,

Hi Karsten

What about sexual dymorphism, as in the shape of the snout?

Hi,

medaka wrote: ↑28 May 2017, 12:03What about sexual dymorphism, as in the shape of the snout?

good point.
Even though not explicitly mentioned it looks like the holotype is a female (SL 16 cm) and only this one specimen was used. The whiptail of the OP is clearly a male.
In some species females have longer or more acute snouts or at least the cheek odontodes of males make/intensity this impression.

Possibly you are right and it's H. castroi.
Here you can find some good pictures of the holotype.

I'm not really sure but it would not surprise me if different species of whiptails would hybridise.
I never keep more than one species of them per tank.

Cheers,

I have no idea if this last photo helps in any way, but I managed to get one from underneath, too.