pleco identification tips please?

[ellie&jase]

hi guys, ive just inherited a pleco algae eater and it is very nice looking, but im worried that it might be one of those ones that never stops growing! it is approx 10cms now and im unsure how old.

i remember a pet shop telling me once there were two main 'normal plain' species and one keeps growing and the other only gets to perhaps 5- 8 cms. Is this true? and if so then how do I work out if mine is a big red clifford disaster waiting to happen or just a nice normal biggish fully grown one?

The internet google searches are useless really so Im hoping someone here can give me some tips?!

any other tips on them too is appreciated - its in with my bachelor livebearers and is super active all the time - i hope it doesnt eat them

[Adrienne]

Post a pic if you can under the catfish section lower down the forums and you're sure to get some help or try googling the planet catfish site.

[Nymox]

+1 for planet catfish, failing that and you dont have access to a camera, google pleco images and find one that looks the same, then post that pic and the guru's will be able to help more.

[flatfish]

Does it look anything like the June photo of the month winner.

http://www.fnzas.org.nz/index.php?PG=potm

This is one of the sailfin plecos which all grow quite large (in this case whats called a redspot pleco, gibby, or leopard pleco and it grows to 45 cm). The other likely common option is the common bristlenose (look up Ancistrus cf. cirrhosus on Planet catfish) which grows to about 12-15 cm.

If its a sailfin pleco there are more slender ones without a 'hump' above the head and stockier ones with a 'hump' (the redspot pleco is one of the stocky ones). The hump is only obvious in larger plecos but they should still look stocky or slender in smaller fish. The slender ones are usually called common plecos of which there are at least two sorts sold under that name in NZ, quite possibly three (the common pleco, Pterygoplichthys pardalis; the Orinoco sailfin pleco, P. multiradiatus, and the vermiculated (means wavy lined) sailfin pleco, P. disjunctivus). If its one of these and you're interested in taking it further you could look at Planet catfish and there will be a heap of photos of each one but P. pardalis is apparently the most common one.

There are two main types of stocky ones available in NZ: the red spot pleco (Pterygoplichthys gibbiceps) and the gold spot pleco (Pterygoplichthys joselimaianus). These two are easy to tell apart. Red spots are covered in large brown spots separated by a thin margin giving a honeycombed appearance while gold spots are covered with golden spots which often merge on the body to form irregular lines (sort of the opposite pattern).

Just to add to the chaos there are also albino forms of at least the common pleco and the redspot pleco, and also a chocolate form of the common pleco (P. pardalis) called a chocolate albino or chocolate pleco.

Hope this isn't to confusing.

[ellie&jase]

thanks everyone!

To be honest now i am sure its not a bristle nose as it has no bristles - although maybe only males have them?

But im not really any closer to working out if its a sailfin Pterygoplichthys gibbiceps or the common Pterygoplichthys pardalis. Either way i think these both grow to 40 - 50cms dont they? What on earth am I gonna do with it lol

[MarkLB]

Hi ellie&jase. I know next to nothing about Plecs but I do know that you're right, only male Bristlenoses have bristles.

What on earth am I gonna do with it lol

How big is your tank?

[phoenix44]

post a pic and we can ID it.

[flatfish]

yep post a pic or take it into your local fish store and ask them. Hutt Pets should be able to tell you. There are photos of common bristlenoses (only the males have the big bristles), red spots, gold spots, and common plecos on this site. Just use the search function and they shouldn't be to hard to find. Red spots and commons look sort of similar but ones skinny with a lower dorsal (top) fin and the other stocky with a larger dorsal fin.