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As so often happens, I bought this plec on impulse in the LFS yesterday but I have no idea what it is. The owner reckoned it would only grow to 10-12cm max and should be ok in my 90L two foot tank so that's the main reason that I need an id. He'll take it back if its a larger species but I really hope it isn't as it's just beautiful. Excluding its tail, it's about 6cm at the moment. I was thinking that it's some sort of Peckoltia but I'm not sure. Thanks.

Ok, having had a trawl through all the photos of Peckoltia sp., my plec is very similar to L205 except that the spots on the body are discrete rather than blotchy as in L205.

Think you could be right there Trillian!

it says they are easy to spawn, you should get some more!

Greetings my fellow lurker.

Well, a couple of more shots to show the markings on its back and belly. Sorry about the poor quality - it was in motion in the first photo and the second was taken from above so it's blurred by the water. I'd forgotten that plecs do that "chameleon" thing so now its body markings do look more like the L205 but I'd appreciate it, if someone who has one, could confirm this for me. Thanks.

Well, 88 views and no replies apart from indigoj (a fellow newbie) so I'll just assume that it is L205 since nobody is telling me differently. Thanks anyway.

Yup, looks like the one to me.

Spots on belly, spots on head smaller than those on body, and matches the picture in DATZ to a tee.

Yay, thanks for that, racoll. I appreciate the confirmation so I can heave a sigh of relief. Any special care requirements that I should know about?

Hi,

I could not say what trillian's fish was, but I was thinking of L147.

What can make you for sure differenciate L205 from L147, except the location where the fishes were caught?

Based on your picture Trillians, it seems that your fish has a hollow stomach. Try to give him zucchini, as it will help to be healthy again

See you soon,
Matien

Thanks Matien. I'd forgotten that wild caught fish are often half-starved so I've just put in a slice of courgette (as we call it for him.

Well, to my inexperienced eye, the L147 seems to have a more gracile form than the L205 and my plec is definitely of the stocky variety so I'm going to go with the L205 for the time being.

What can make you for sure differenciate L205 from L147

Its very hard to describe in words, but they are quite different in my eyes.

L147


L205

racoll wrote:

What can make you for sure differenciate L205 from L147

Its very hard to describe in words, but they are quite different in my eyes.

Agreed.

While the body markings on my plec change from discrete spots to banded areas, the spots on the head area are far apart as in L205 whereas in the L147, they seem quite close together.

Ok,

Thank you.
It look pretty obvious on these pictures.
I will have to take pictures of some of my fishes to show them, as they are supposed to be L147, and I am not confident anymore...

See you soon,
Matien

Matien wrote:I will have to take pictures of some of my fishes to show them, as they are supposed to be L147, and I am not confident anymore...

Sown the seeds of doubt, eh? ;)

Well if yours turns out to be an L205 also, you'll know who to thank.

From what I understand [and I may be wrong here], L205 has more distinct spots on the tummy than the other similar looking species.

--
Mats

Well, if you look at the photo above, you can see that my one does have a distinctive spotted belly.

Trillian: Yes, I think your fish is L205. It's more a question of "how do you tell the difference". I think spots on the tummy is a clear indication, but I'd like to have it verified by owners of for example L147.

--
Mats

Ok, just a couple of closeup shots to confirm identification but I'm fairly positive that I do have an L205.

Yes it is a L205!

They are nice and relatively peaceful fish.

For what i see on your fish,try to fatten him/her up!

What about L124?

he is very pretty!

Its not in my opinion. is clearly quite reticulate in pattern, and has a distinctive orange "shark fin" (see photo below).

The photo of Trillian's fish looks so similar to L205 in DATZ, it could be the same fish!

Daragh wrote:What about L124?

I wouldn't say so, the thing about L124 (and L147) is that, especially the former, is more elongate in the body.

Jools