ID if you can

[woodchomper]

Better question: How can you pinpoint that it is a Pterygoplichthys pardalis, without seeing any of the marking? From the photo, I cannot see any stripes that are a defining part of the P. pardalis. Of the 14 species of Pterygoplichthys, many of which are sold as 'common' plecos, you can discern which species it is from that photo?

Law of averages more than anything.

From my experience the vast majority of the commons sold in the trade are pardalis, due to the commercial farming of them, granted disjunctivus is another possibilty but it is impossible to tell from the dorsal view.

I am pretty confident from even that photo that it is not ambrosetti, gibbiceps, joselimaianus, punctatus or weberi which rules out a lot more of the commonly available 'commons'

You cannot see the dorsal at all in that shot so i am confuzzled as to how you can discount it.

 

[WyldFya]

There are far more than just the P. pardalis sold as commons. I have personally seen at least 12 different plecos that were all sold as commons, with the same basic coloration. P. pardalis have very distinct markings on their sides, which can be seen in the photo, not well, but they can be seen. This pleco in the picture does not show these markings. Many of the fish often labeled as P. pardalis by people that are not certain are in fact not P. pardalis.

 

[woodchomper]

There are far more than just the P. pardalis sold as commons.

I acknowleged this in my last post.

I have personally seen at least 12 different plecos that were all sold as commons.

Namely?

 

[T time]

12 is a bit of an exaggeration but you've made your point. There is no need to turn this into a pissing contest because in all honesty the fish is definitely a Pterygoplichthys, thus the basic husbandry requirements are all the same. There is no accurate way to completely identify the pictured pleco because of picture quality, mal-nourishment, stress coloration, etc.

 

[dominicolas]

You guys blow me away. In time better pictures will be put up as he gets bigger and heathier. By the way I call him a he, but is there an easy way to know the sex, can you vent them? I'll try to take pics of the underside.

 

[COL]

Well conditioned individuals can be vented with some difficulty. An immature specimen just recently purchased will almost certainly be unsexable.

 

[dominicolas]

Thanks Col.

Here are some slightly better pics. As I said I need a new camera.
This is the first time he has been in a good location but it didn't take long for the convict to steel the spotlight and chase him off.

 

[davo]

It can also be said that as the fish is more than likely farm bred, there is a possibility of a hybrid fish, I believe often between disjunctivus and pardalis.

 

[dominicolas]

Can you tell me how big it will likely get. It's in a 120 gal and there is a 150 gal comming soon so I think I'm doing good, but I still want to know the potential.

 

[T time]

18" range give or take a few