Help ID wolfish /Hoplias

[moe214]

This fish is definitely a mala. But imo you can't go off of looks with Wolves always, they're patterns and body shape tend to overlap between species.

 

[DB junkie]

How are you able to be so sure it's a Mala??? You betting the farm based on jaw lines?

Does it have the right number of pores?

IF this fish grew to 30 inches would you still call it a Mala?

 

[Yuki Rihwa]

For now we can safely said it's a mala, until the owner keep it for long term and raise it to adult size. I read some information from practical fish keeping that juv. H. Malabaricus sometime got "Green Eye" too.

**Most interesting are Hoplias. Usually only three species are exported for the hobby and most common is H. malabaricus, being widespread in both the Amazon and Orinoco lowlands and exported frequently from Peru.
Any wolffish bought in an aquarium shop will probably belong to this particular species.
Colour can range from mottled grey to brown and, depending on place of origin, almost black.

Juveniles are usually lighter and have bright yellow or green eyes.**

Full article can read here: http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/content.php?sid=4638

Now this reminding me with all "Green Eyes" wolf selling out there...new ways to get extra money from fish collector?

 

[moe214]

I wouldn't hesitate to doubt a mala maxing out in the wild a bit under that size, 30+ bit different, though I wouldn't doubt that origin of the variant influences the max size, I say this because of a document I watched (obviously I can't always trust what's said but I won't doubt it) and yes off of jaw lines, I looked at the pores before I wrote my answer as well only was able to see 4.

 

[ExoticGREEN]

very nice wolf. It has that distinct look. to me. not mala.

 

[DB junkie]

Something I've noticed is that wolves ID'd as Iguaza come from the Iguaza Falls, somewhere near the boarder of Argentina and Paraguay. (Nowhere near Peru) These fish seem to have a unique trait when grown up - reddish fins. Red enough that when MFK saw pics of one of the first confirmed Iguazas the fish was thought to be sick....... The fish in my avatar has these reddish fins, came from the location, same source as the "cf Lacs" is a spitting image of our little guys and is getting close to the typical Mala max size in the maybe year it's been here. I'd expect them to get much larger as I mentioned before people have seen 30+" Iguazas or common wolfs as they're now being called, but I think in the world of wolves it's easiest to understand which is which is by where each come from as the variants of different locales can be different.

Besides, I didn't think common Malas had hunchbacks????

 

[torcombro]

Yea, mala, still an awesome fish, I've always had one, in any setup, I like them despite how much they're bashed about being lazy compared to other species. Mine never hid, one used to hover in the middle most of the time once it reached a foot though others seem to experience the opposite.

You are right, the fish so lazy not so much moving around. It even takes food from my chopstik.

Under jaw V shape, it's common wolf Hoplias Malabaricus.
*there is few threads in here discussing a *new type of common wolf* being available in fish market recently you should check it out, great information

Thank you for your help

Nice active looking Mala like yuki said.

Thank you for your help

Where did it come from? Looks just like the CF Lacs Wes had.....

So you all agree that Wes's CF Lacs are Malas???

They said the fish came from German

This fish is definitely a mala. But imo you can't go off of looks with Wolves always, they're patterns and body shape tend to overlap between species.

Thank you for your help

very nice wolf. It has that distinct look. to me. not mala.

Thank you, this is a gentle hoplias, very lazy

 

[Yuki Rihwa]

I just acquired 6x juv. hoplias 2~2.5 inches and seller claim collected them from Argentina (not from Wes). Well, i'll just call them Mala for now until these babies put up some sizes and of course if they don't kill each other in the process, here is short video clip of few them in open spaces.

Hopefully, I can get a nice community of wolves pack or at least a pair out of these babies.

 

[torcombro]

I just acquired 6x juv. hoplias 2~2.5 inches and seller claim collected them from Argentina (not from Wes). Well, i'll just call them Mala for now until these babies put up some sizes and of course if they don't kill each other in the process, here is short video clip of few them in open spaces.

Hopefully, I can get a nice community of wolves pack or at least a pair out of these babies.

How are they getting along?i heard hoplias are territorial fish

 

[ExoticGREEN]

all the mala's Ive seen. Let say they werent green or had green eyes. they were grey and black. very high concentrate of black. @1-3" The green wolves from wes. have none of that. cant wait for it to get bigger.