This fish is about 4 inches, and was purchased as a bushynose pleco from a wholesale place in California. The fish to the right of him was purchased as a starry night, but it only about 3 inches. The white on their finnage is different, but as far as the way they are shaped, they seem to be identical. Does anyone have any input? Ideas?
The big problem with these Ancistrus species is that about every major river in South America has at least 1 species of these. And the differences are hard to see. Unless you know the catching place of this fish, it will be almost impossible to ID him correctly.
I Would check with the shop if he can give you the name of the importer where he bought the fish from and then check with the importator to see where his fish comes from in South America and if you can have the information way down here, you might be able to correctly ID your Ancistrus.
I think we should ask the shop, importator and exportator to give the catching information with their stocklist and stuff: Such as Ancistrus sp "Rio Mindu", this way we will really avoid crossbreeding different species or geographical variant.
I think him is a she, this is a female and the males are more white in the dorsal and tail fins.
They usually export this species as L59 from brasil but as Yann says, they are many look a like species from many rivers.
I actually bought this fish directly from the wholesaler. They had no locational information about them. Just purchased a large batch of "bushynose" and were sent these instead of the regular temmencki fare. I actually have 6 of the adults, and then 2 that were purchased as starry nights. The fish pictured has definite bristles up the center of his face, and less white on his dorsal fin than what I've been calling the female in this tank. She had no bristles up the center of her face, and actually has more white on her dorsal. I assumed it was just a variation in pattern from fish to fish, to be honest.
Would it be safe to assume that the 6 I bought together could safely be spawned without worrying about causing hybridization? I realize the 2 that I bought as juveniles could very well be a different type of fish, as their white edge to their finnage seems to be staying a bit more vivid, so I'll definitely keep them separate.
Thanks for the input. I really do like these fish, and have been trying to find enough adults to form a colony of them for years. Every time I ordered them I was shipped starlights, or very small fry that tended to be sensitive. I appreciate your help.
Well the big problem is that Aqualog as put the wrong picture of the L59 in his book they correct it later by creating the L59c which is actually the true L59.
And the true L59 has no white spot but more yellow orange ones of various size
Yes on some species females developp small bristles like in males but not as much and smaller.
Ancistrus hopplogenys from the Rio Negro show that particularity pretty well with males developping rather huge bristles and females developping quite a few bristle that could easily make her look like a male!!!
Anyway! Nice fish Janne, you have a nice male in front for sure! What are their actual size?
Cheers
Yann
The male is 9 cm and the females 7-8 cm, the females have lots of bristles on their nose but not on the head like the male. When I bought them for a year ago they was only 4-5 cm and they come from Turkys in Manaus as L59.
They have just spawn for the first time and it took longer time than I expect to condition them since they seem to be a small species around maximum size of 10 cm.
Well the possibility that he comes from the Rio Negro bassin could be high but, Turkys has several people collecting fish especially catfish from other parts of Brasil and have them then sent to the home base at Manaus so it means that it could come from any where actually.
When I was in Manaus I was able to see several sepcimens of Ancistrus cf hoplogenys supposely caught in the Rio Negro bassin.
As far as I remember I did not notice any white margin on the dorsal or caudal fins.
Cheers
Yann
