ID for 6 inch, 3-5 yr old pleco ... hopefully not Common

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Perry
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Joined: 05 Apr 2021, 15:04
Location 1: Vermont
Location 2: USA

ID for 6 inch, 3-5 yr old pleco ... hopefully not Common

Post by Perry »

Anyone able to help me identify the type of pleco in the attached photo? In case it's helpful, what I know about the fish is that it's 3 - 5 years old and is currently 6 inches long. It enjoys algae wafers and veggies and is also happy to clean up pellets, flakes and frozen foods that make it to the bottom. Additionally it very much enjoys chewing on the driftwood and leaf litter in the tank.

The fish was sold to someone else at a small town fish/pet store (that has since closed) as an algae eater for a 10 gal tank. It currently lives in my 29 gallon planted tank with 18 neon tetras and a bunch of cherry shrimp. I am curious to know what type it is but my main interest is to know whether I can assume it's full grown. I know there are some plecos that get huge and obviously if this one gets any bigger it won't be comfortable in my tank. It's been with me for a little over 2 years and has roughly doubled in size (it was 3-4 inches when it came to me).

I've scanned all the images I can find and just get more and more confused. It does look somewhat like the images I see of the Common Pleco except that the markings on the face are definitely spots where the common pleco looks to have more maze like markings. Maybe that's just wishful thinking on my part as I really want to believe that this fish has finished growing.

Anyway, I'd appreciate any input you folks might have for me.

Thank you!
Pleco.jpg
Perry
Posts: 3
Joined: 05 Apr 2021, 15:04
Location 1: Vermont
Location 2: USA

Re: ID for 6 inch, 3-5 yr old pleco ... hopefully not Common

Post by Perry »

Any chance it could be a female Bristlenose?
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Re: ID for 6 inch, 3-5 yr old pleco ... hopefully not Common

Post by Bas Pels »

nope

Don´t know what it is, but certainly not an Ancistrus
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bekateen
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Re: ID for 6 inch, 3-5 yr old pleco ... hopefully not Common

Post by bekateen »

Hello @Perry,

Welcome to PlanetCatfish! The fish in the photo you show is one of the species in the genus . There are many similar species within the genus, so I can't begin to know which species it is, but it's definitely not a bristlenose (genus ) nor is it one of the fish typically sold as a common pleco (genus ).

Cheers, Eric
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Perry
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Joined: 05 Apr 2021, 15:04
Location 1: Vermont
Location 2: USA

Re: ID for 6 inch, 3-5 yr old pleco ... hopefully not Common

Post by Perry »

Thank you both. I appreciate the feedback.

Perry
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