Just caught in Florida need pics from pleco people.

[kakojones]

Ok, I was just out at Myakka in Sarasota, FL and we caught a Pleco. I didn't see a lot of him de to darkness when we were moving our catch into the pond, but it looked like a sailfin. i mean it was a pretty big dorsal for his size and the colors looked about right.

Big question is, did i hurt him. here is why i ask: we put our haul in a cooler (full of water not ice) and while we were getting all the mich out and getting the shrimp (i'm guessing ghost/glass shrimp) our of the muck I felt something weird, kinda hard/kinda soft, (i had a few beers in me at the time) and it was stuck to the side of the cooler. So not thinking at all i just pulled it off and there was a pleco, i put him the water quick. Our water is the same as where we collected him because that is where we get the water and it was all outside temp (i just really hope the quick change, if any, doesn't kill him.

He was about 4" or so.

I will try to get pics, but in the meantime can someone post some pics of sailfins or anything that looks like one? please?????

weird thing is that this was a pond on my friends property and the river does not feed it unleww there is major flooding. His prop is double gated, one onto the road and one from the road to his prop. how the hell did this thing get there and how do i catch his parents and siblings? any ideas on how to get them would be appreciated (there are gators so swimming is out of the question).

I know i said i had some beers, but this was no catfish. def a pleco of some sort.

 

[WyldFya]

It will be very difficult to catch more, maybe a trap w/ veggies, in it. Or meat, but you will likely catch some shrimp as well.

 

[kakojones]

Funny thing is we were out there last week and fishing for some cats with cut up mullet and as a joke we put mullet head on a hook and threw it out there. when we pulled in the head a lot of the skin was missing in a weird way, no i know why.

I was thinking a minnow trap (with bigger entrances) with more mullet or some veggies, maybe a few minnow traps.

His dorsal looked like that one, i did only get a quick look, but the coloration/pattern wasn't the same. unless he was just dirty/muddy.

we were just happy about the shrimp, we needed a cleaning crew while we still have smaller fish in the pond.

I'll try to get some pics.

 

[davo]

"commons" and gibbys are hardy plecos and i believe are all over flordia water, which is unfortunate i guess. the patterns on them will change a lot, and the colour due to stress and surroundings etc. ill find some pics.

 

[davo]

here you go jones. they look different in lighter conditions (some would say better as it brings out the pattern) and in dark conditions they dont have this. they are also different out of water/in stress heres a few pics of gibbys in diff. situ, hope it helps for now, but a pick from you would be good. i wouldnt do it again, but you probably didnt harm it by pulling it out. as they arent native if you catch them again id probably kill them or keep them like you have, but it would be almost impossible to get rid of them now...

 

[kakojones]

Thanks for all the info and photos. I knew someone could help a little.

I'm not gonna lie, i was hoping for something a bit more valuable but this is still a cool catch. We saved ourselves @ $9 and thats not too bad.
I'll see if I can get pics today, just in case. I didn't think we would be able to get 'em all but i wouldn't mind catching a few more. I couldn't believe we caught one though, i mean we have caught a few armored catfish with hook and line but never a pleco in a net.

What's the L# on that guy? I don't know too much about plecos...yet, guess we're gonna need some bigger tanks!!!

 

[davo]

yea apparently they are becoming more and more common. not sure how hard it is to actually catch them like you did mind. The L number was, and i guess still is L083, L165, L196 but has since been given the scientific name glyptoperichthys gibbiceps and so the l number is just another common name.

it would be rare to catch anything more exotic, as most of the more expensives are not let out into rivers etc, and are less hardy and probably wouldnt thrive in the places that these commons and gibbys do.

 

[kakojones]

Well, I'll give the minnow traps a try. I doubt any of the adult ones that may be in there will fit, but if we catch as many of the little guys as possible maybe that's a start.
You suppose there is any trade in value on those? i mean they're not rare or expensive or anything, but a couple bucks wouldn't hurt.

I'll get those pics and let you know how the trapping goes. The trapping will begin next wednesday. if anyone in florida close to sarasota/myakka/bradenton wants some let me know. if we catch more we won't mind parting with them as long as they aren't going to be released back into the wild.

 

[davo]

duno, people are always trading them in. you might get something (little) depending on store policy, but youd have to quarenting everything as its wildcaught. i personally dont think it would be worth it, but might be cool for your pond

 

[kakojones]

I just don't want to off the fish that we can't personally keep and I don't want to let them back out into the wild either.