Help id little pleco- wild import

[msjinkzd]

Hey guys! I am back with another puzzle for those more experienced than myself.
I recently imported fish from Peru again, and surprise surprise, I have no idea what this little ditty is. They are pretty tiny and were imported as a Parotocinclus, no adipose though. Can anyone give me a starting place to look and see what they are?
I know these pictures are abyssmal, I will get better ones tomorrow, as these fish are en route to me now (these are the exporters images).



Maybe baby panaque of some type?

[Sfamnun]

Well, I'm not an expert on loricariids by any means, but these reminded me of very young

Pterygoplichthys

. Compare them to the pictures of very small

Pterygoplichthys weberi

, for example.

[msjinkzd]

ugh, i really hope not. Those get larger than I want in this fish room.
I will post better pictures after I have them tomorrow.

[Acanthicus]

He,

sure that they don't have an adipose? They look like what is sold as "Ranger Pleco" from Columbia, and normally these turn out to be G./P. punctatus. For sure not a Parotocinclus.


cheers, Daniel

[msjinkzd]

I won't know anything for sure until I get them tomorrow- that is just what the exporter told me (about adipose). I will get decent pics of side, top, and bottom tomorrow when they arrive.

[Jools]

The guys above are spot on. I'm 99.9% sure this is a bambino

Pterygoplichthys

of some sort, I'm 95% sure it's

Pterygoplichthys weberi

.

Jools

[msjinkzd]

ha, just my luck. Thanks guys. I will still update with better pictures tomorrow. WTF am I, who likes nano fish, going to do with 70 fish that get to 7" LOL. Any clue on a retail value?

[Jools]

Got sumps?

Jools

[msjinkzd]

haha, no! Air driven filtration with a central pump. This is what I get for trying to get more parotos! LOL

[Bas Pels]

ha, just my luck. Thanks guys. I will still update with better pictures tomorrow. WTF am I, who likes nano fish, going to do with 70 fish that get to 7" LOL. Any clue on a retail value?

In Europe we once had a batch of similar fish. They sold for more than Pterogoblichthys gibbiceps - and rightfully. After all, they don't get that big, and are therefore much more suitable for the average tank.

Unfortunately, it was only that once. I got 5 out of them,which are now ~20 cm. Only 20 cm I should say

[msjinkzd]

Here are pictures, now that they are in my possession

[Bas Pels]

you might be able to count the rays in the dorsal - above 8 it is Pterogoblichthys, and I'm rather certain the count will be that high

But as stated, assuming it is not one of the larger species, there should be a market for them.

incidentally, I do like how they look

[Narwhal72]

That's a really attractive little pleco. Too bad they don't stay that way.

I do have some big tanks that they would fit in. Let me know when you get pricing as I might be interested in a few.

Andy

[msjinkzd]

yea, i really wish they stayed this little and attractive, lol. I will list them up once I qt them. They are very cute, right now. Just not really my market demographic!