Request for id help- everything looks the same

[PseudaSmart]

I picked up 2 bags of Hypancistrus at an auction that I now think were mis-marked. The 'darker' set of 3 I think are L340's and are 2" in total length. I have included a picture of their fry at 25 days. The 'lighter' 4 are almost 3" in total length and have me totally confused looking thru the Cat-eLog.

Professional help is requested!

Both together

both.JPG (19.35 KiB) Viewed 1274 times

Fry

Very Confused

light.JPG (14.02 KiB) Viewed 1274 times

Thanks for the help!

[macvsog23]

Welcome to the fun that IDing Hypans is.
Lots of debate and lots of opinions on what is what.

The “scribble” plecos are the most debated.
I would say some thing along the lines of L316? Or L333 hard to tell as the photos are not full body shots

[Janne]

If they was sold as

Hypancistrus sp(l333)

(which I think the light ones are) the dark ones can be

Hypancistrus sp(l401)

that in the past was sold as L333 H. sp "New Alenquer" and often mixed up in the trade as true L333.
The pictures is not good enough to make a 100% certain id.

Janne

[PseudaSmart]

Thanks for the input. Both groups were mixed and sold as L316's obviously wrong. Can the L333's have coloration of yellow/brown or white/black? I have L333's which are yellow/brown and the ones pictured look nothing like them. The lighter ones in real life are distinctly white/black.

Another photo of the lighter ones

lighter.JPG (67.03 KiB) Viewed 1206 times

What is the chance that the darker ones are L340's? The fry look identical and there are more lines and pattering than the L401's.

darker.JPG (36.88 KiB) Viewed 1206 times

As stated above. It is difficult to tell the difference unless you know exactly where they came from. That is the good / bad of auctions! I really appreciate the help and do not want to split hairs. I just want to have them properly named when I sell the offspring!

[grokefish]

My goodness, this really is becoming a problem.....

http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... 90#p209841

[PseudaSmart]

You might be right. I read the link yesterday and had hoped not to go there. I thought taking good pictures was hard, there is a lot of drama in the other thread. I am willing to accept a best guess and provide disclosure later.

[Janne]

The pictures is still not enough good for id, if both species (it's 2 different species) is of similar size I would say that the darker is not L340 and it might well be L401.

The best way to make good pictures is to leave them in their aquarium, have lots of patience and take photos showing their sideview when they show the right coloration. Stress colour and not adults (they look to be 7-9 cm TL so they will grow a bit more) make it very difficult to id.

Janne

[Jools]

I know it's not positive, but the darker ones seem to have a longer head profile than what you would expect for

L333

even at the size they are.

Jools

[PseudaSmart]

Is this picture any better to get a positive id.

I have spent the last several days trying to get better photos. This is the best one so far. This is the third one from the same group of the two previous photographs.