PlanetCatfish.com

Hi folks I picked up a copy of the Aqualog all L numbers today and saw this pleco. Its the L003a the white colour (xanthorist) variation of the Keiser pleco the clog pages for L003 it's referred to as 'has been imported' there are only 2 registered keepers here on the forum so I'm not certain if they have the L003 or the L003a. The L003a is the one I'm referring to. Does anyone know if this pleco can be obtained or do you have to give your right arm in order to do so, so to speak, as i would really like to somehow source one of these.

Hi Teresa, You mean and L003a, right?

The one I was talking about was the 003a as in the Aqualog there's no picture of it in the clog pages as the L003a is the white xanthorist variety of the L003. Probably not ever be able to obtain one but its a real beauty! Posts since re edited as i got Lnos wrong

I'm still confused.

On the CLOG for , the References section states,

References wrote:DATZ 12/1988, p 556-558.
Aqualog matches DATZ. Aqualog labels the xanthorist variant L003a

By contrast, there is no mention of a xanthorist variant of on its CLOG page.

Also, you mentioned "Kieser Pleco," which is the common name for L003, not L103. Finally, you mentioned only 2 registered keepers. L003 has only two registered keepers, but L103 has six.

Where are you getting the name Kieser Pleco and where are you getting only 2 registered keepers?

I'm not trying to be trouble; just trying to get my facts straight.

Cheers, Eric

Sincere apologies Eric i meant the L 003 will re- edit the posts above so folks don't get confused.

No problem. Good luck finding these.

Cheers, Eric

Not even a pic on Google images if they can't find one I doubt I could.

No pic, but there is a vague reference to L003a in this forum thread: Panaque Nigrolineatus became white !

I just saw the thread not sure I could get to Japan to smuggle one back to uk!

Is it specifically that Baryancistrus L003 you're looking for, or any pleco that's turned white?

The turning white (well, tends to be more yellowish) phenomenon occurs in a quite a few species; one of my Panaque nigrolineatus did so a few years back. Here's an article about the colour change, from L-Welse.com

I wonder if that change is just the result of age for some plecos.

No, I don't think it is age, it happens with young fishes too. I wonder if it is blindness or another idea is that it's a disease but not one that causes death more often than not.

Meanwhile, I've not seen a large white Baryancistrus for sale in the UK, they are not "stock items"...

Jools

Thanks guys, it definitely appears with some panaque nigrilineatus that it does occur and sometimes they then change back again, in the thread already mentioned, and in the above article also other plecos that have. As Jools mentioned it may not be health related leading to the demise of the pleco, but there would be a reason for this to occur. It would definitely be the baryancistrus L103 i would be interested in but it obviously it's a rare occurrence in nature and rare to capture one with a xanthorist variation and it would obviously be very difficult to obtain one of these.