Large Pleco ID
- Thread starter Damascus
- Start date
Definitely not a pseudacanthicus, wrong head shape.
Doubt that LFS even carry other large, exotic plecos like L25, L24, L14 etc
Looks to be another one of those multiple species that arrive in a batch listed to be sold as “commons” or “sail fins.” I personally wouldn’t pay more than $10-$15 for it
Milingu
seems to have made a good guess as to what it is, as usual. He’s the master of fish ID
Doubt that LFS even carry other large, exotic plecos like L25, L24, L14 etc
Looks to be another one of those multiple species that arrive in a batch listed to be sold as “commons” or “sail fins.” I personally wouldn’t pay more than $10-$15 for it
Milingu
seems to have made a good guess as to what it is, as usual. He’s the master of fish IDWish you would’ve found an actual pseuda for $80. Every now and again I’ve found some gems so it was definitely a good questionThey want $80 for it. Sorry for wasting all your time on something so common!
Thanks guys
I second P. punctatus. 10+ dorsal rays indicate Pterygoplichthys.
Interesting to see one so large, though. Rarely are individuals of that size offered, as the cost of export/import typically exceeds the projected market-value in proportion to demand of the fish at the country of destination; and seldom does anybody take the time to grow one out to that size in an appropriately-sized tank over the course of several years. Small juveniles are not too uncommon, but adults tend to be rare.
I think they are quite attractive, and certainly not worth casual dismissal. Fun fishes in their own right; bold, hardy, etc. Though I may be somewhat biased as I used to buy tiny punctatus fry to grow out.
The weberi-group is also typically labelled 'properly' (or rather, with more attempt to label down to sp.) for commercial export as they have some ornamental demand/value, instead of being lumped in with other misc. Hypostominae. In that regard they tend to be one of the less-mislabelled Pterygoplichthys, so it is interesting it was sold under the moniker of 'cactus pleco'- inclined to think that was a mishap on the store's end.
The price is not terribly problematic. The fish looks wild-caught.
Interesting to see one so large, though. Rarely are individuals of that size offered, as the cost of export/import typically exceeds the projected market-value in proportion to demand of the fish at the country of destination; and seldom does anybody take the time to grow one out to that size in an appropriately-sized tank over the course of several years. Small juveniles are not too uncommon, but adults tend to be rare.
I think they are quite attractive, and certainly not worth casual dismissal. Fun fishes in their own right; bold, hardy, etc. Though I may be somewhat biased as I used to buy tiny punctatus fry to grow out.
The weberi-group is also typically labelled 'properly' (or rather, with more attempt to label down to sp.) for commercial export as they have some ornamental demand/value, instead of being lumped in with other misc. Hypostominae. In that regard they tend to be one of the less-mislabelled Pterygoplichthys, so it is interesting it was sold under the moniker of 'cactus pleco'- inclined to think that was a mishap on the store's end.
The price is not terribly problematic. The fish looks wild-caught.