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I picked up this lovely little fellow at the LFS yesterday. Having trawled through all the L numbers on Planet Catfish, I can't find an exact match as it has a striped body, spotted lyretail and quite distinctive face and belly markings. It's been suggested to me that it's an L206 but that looks to have wider body bands so I'm not 100% sure. I'd appreciate it if someone can confirm an id for me. Thanks.

I suppose it could be L206 but my first impression was I was looking at a Peckoltia species.
At any rate, it's an interesting looking little guy. Looks like a male whatever it is.

Well if it helps narrow it down, it came in on the same shipment as my Peckoltia L205 that I got about four months ago so chances are they came from the same region.

Which would give you this list.

L206 is certainly a possibility.

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Mats

Well that was a very useful list, Mats, thanks. It is very very similar to the L206 but, to my unexperienced eye, the back markings look slightly different. Is there usually a variation in markings within a species then?

I've seen a fair few of these and I would definitely say he is , and a nice one too.....

racoll wrote:I've seen a fair few of these and I would definitely say he is

Panaque sp(l206)

, and a nice one too...

Oh thanks for that. Although Panaque changae has also been suggested to me but that has a striped tail.

If it is an L206, do you any info on their diets as there's nothing on the PC page.

I would imagine a standard panaque diet of wood and veggies - not meaty stuff.

Oh thanks for that. Although Panaque changae has also been suggested to me but that has a striped tail.

and are very similar. It might be worth getting another close-up of the tail to make sure it is spotted rather than broken striped.

If it is an L206, do you any info on their diets as there's nothing on the PC page.

As indigoj said, wood and veggies are what he needs. I feed my with soft birch wood, broad beans and algae wafers, and they are very hairy!!

I have both L-206 an L-226 P.Cahngea

I would say this is P.Changea, because of the pattern on the head. The L-206 has both stripes and spots in the caudal fin. The L-206 grows only to about 8 cm, but the P.Changea reach 12cm. The P.Changea has a pinkish shine in the fins.

E

I would say this is P.Changea, because of the pattern on the head. The L-206 has both stripes and spots in the caudal fin. The L-206 grows only to about 8 cm, but the P.Changea reach 12cm. The P.Changea has a pinkish shine in the fins.

I happen to have the description of P. changae in front of me, and there in no mention in either text or photograph of a spotted caudal fin.

Having said this, I am basing my opinion on a not very clear photo of the tail, which to me looks spotted.

I do agree that P. changae was indeed by first impression, but went for L206 when I saw the tail.

What is it about the head pattern that makes you think P. changae? I can't make out a differences with the photos I have access to.

I have also the description of P.Changea her.

I said that the L-206 have both spotted and striped caudal fin not the P.changea.

The L-206 has also the head pattern so compressed, that it is hard to see the stripes. But the same is for the full grown P.Changea.

Adult P.Changea. From a import done at 2006


L-206 with spots in the coudal fin. This specie was caught in the Ucayla draining in winter 2007. App. 5cm


L-206 with stripes in the caudal fin. This specie was also caught in the Ucayla drainage winter 2007. App. 5cm

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E

racoll wrote:soft birch wood, broad beans and algae wafers, and they are very hairy!!

Where do you get the birch wood? I don't have broad beans, would peas do? ;)

Erlend D Bertelsen wrote:L-206 with spots in the caudal fin.

Well my one looks most like that second photo. He flared out his caudal fin earlier and it's definitely spotted and he also has the lyretail fin extensions. No pink tints to his fins so don't think it is the P. changae then. The only thing that's still niggling is that, if you compare the photos of my one, it has more numerous and thinner body stripes than the L206...

L-206 with stripes in the caudal fin.

Telling the difference between spots and broken stripes isn't easy. Try to get a good photo of the tail Trillian.

Nice photos by the way Erland.

Where do you get the birch wood?

I actually collected the silver birch from the Queen's estate at Sandringham. Don't tell her....

Its a very common tree, and easy to spot with its silver bark. It likes fairly dry and sandy conditions. Collect only dead but not rotten wood.

Soak it if you can, but I just added it straight to the tank. After about a month the bark softens enough that you can remove the wood and peel the bark off with a knife.

I don't have broad beans, would peas do?

I don't see why not, but it might be a bit easier for the Panaque to get their teeth into something larger.....

Broad beans are available tinned and frozen in most supermarkets. Frozen ones may be easier to find in a farm-shop [the type that sells "directly from farmers", not the ones where you buy farming equipment such as tractors and welly boots, just to make clear ;)] or such.

Birch may be harder to find, but it's not particularly important which type of wood it is. I have some apple-tree branches in my tank, along with cherry and some LFS-bought hardwoods. Fish seems to eat "any wood".

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Mats

Hi!!

Yes this is Panaque changae without much doubt on it!!
Cheers
Yann

Yes this is Panaque changae without much doubt on it!!

I don't necessarily disagree, but how did you reach this diagnosis Yann?

Yann wrote:Yes this is Panaque changae without much doubt on it!!

You sure? My plec has a spotted lyretail - he flared it out the other night so I got a clear view but alas! too slow to photograph it - whereas P. changae has a striped normal tail. I'm far from an expert but the more photos of L206 that I see, the more I'm inclined to agree that's what I have.

Hi!!

Yeap I am sure because I base my ID on head marking, body stripes and the fins (dorsal) stripes... They are some Panaque changae with spot like on the caudal fins!

L206 has a more complicated, thinner head marking
larger dark bands in the dorsal fin
plain dark bands on the body

Cheers
Yann