Picking up new fish tomorrow

McEve · Post by **McEve** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 9:59 pm

Hi guys,

I know this is a bit off topic, but maybe you can help me nonetheless.

I'm going to pick up a few L333 tomorrow. I was wondering, how do I positively identify them as L333, so that I don't end up with L270? What's the best way to tell these two apart?

NeoCult · Post by **NeoCult** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 10:12 pm

erm.... try planet catfish and print identifying pics of both to help make sure

McEve · Post by **McEve** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 10:22 pm

I dont have pictures of them

They're in a shop at the moment. I know about PC.

Anybody else knows?

smithrc · Post by **smithrc** » Sat Jul 23, 2005 10:05 am

333s are more likely to be confused with 066's - and even then the 333's are 'easy' to tell apart if they are a good size - the 333's have large cream seams running through a brown (sometimes nearly black) back ground. the 066's have a lot more smaller cream seams

hope that helps

McEve · Post by **McEve** » Sat Jul 23, 2005 10:14 am

Thanks smthrc

The L333 I have now looks like this:

It's got rather small seams....

Can I assume that the combination of lines and dots identifies it as L333? (In addition to bodyshape, lines on all fins, eyecolor and shape of fins)

So what is it that clearly distinguish it from L270?

Des · Post by **Des** » Sat Jul 23, 2005 12:10 pm

Hi McEve,

A L270 I believe is a chocolate zebra. Once you have seen one, you will not mistake it for a L333.

Remember both types are very variable in their colour and patterning.
In fact ,I have a couple of l270 that have lost their light coloured stripes as they matured, while another 2 from another source have kept theirs.Will try and get some pictures of mine if you are interested. Let me know.
I also have 3 different types of L333.

Below are 2 links for the 2 different fish.

http://www.transfish.de/LCode/L270.jpg

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgur ... en%26lr%3D

Regards,
Des

McEve · Post by **McEve** » Sat Jul 23, 2005 2:38 pm

Thanks Des, I would be very interested in seeing your speciements of L270!

Well, I got back from the shop, but I don't think a L333 is what came back home with me

What do you think? The stripes are very wide compared to the two I have, and the tail is much more forked. The eyecolor is right though, and also the shape of the fish in general.

She ordered four of them on my request, so I felt that I couldn't walk out of there without buying at least one of them... The others had much more white in them.

Sven T. · Post by **Sven T.** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 10:10 am

Hi,

the plec you bought is a L333. No doubt.

Sven

McEve · Post by **McEve** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 10:19 am

Thanks Sven,

To me the L333 I have looks black with white lines, the fish I came home with looks like it's white with black stripes.

Please elaborate for me why you think there's no doubt

Sven T. · Post by **Sven T.** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 11:35 am

Hi,

the first thing you must look isn't the pattern. The L333 an the other Hypancistrus species are very variable patterned.

We have to look on morphologic differences. The L333 has got a strong caudal fin and a high ridge. We also have to look at the position of the eyes.

Look now at the morphologic attributes of your first L333 and the second L333. They show the same morphologic attributes ... just the pattern is different.

Hope this answers your question.

Sven

McEve · Post by **McEve** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 11:45 am

Getting there

How about the tail? Most pictures I've seen of L333, and the two I have, shows a fairly straigh tailfin, while this new one has a very deeply forked tail, even though it doesn't show very well on the picture.

The second one is much younger than the first, only a bit more than half the size.

Sven T. · Post by **Sven T.** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 11:57 am

Hi,

the different ages of the plecos doesn't make it easier!
Young Plecos often has got a more colorful and brighter colouration.

Try to make a photo from the sideview of each of the plecos. Than we can look at the differnet tails.

Sven

Des · Post by **Des** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 12:31 pm

Hi McEve,

In my view, it looks identical to L287,Aqualog , top left hand picture on Page 201. The forked tail is also identical.
My L333 do not have such a forked tail. I have posted pictures some time ago.

Regards,
Des.

PS. Let me know when your first lot of L333 spawn. Id be interested in some young.

McEve · Post by **McEve** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 10:08 pm

Ths one shows his tail pretty good:

While this one shows the size of his dorsal fin:

Sven T. · Post by **Sven T.** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 7:42 am

Hi,

i still think it is a L333.

On the following page you can see some L333 that are close to yours: http://www.aquacorner.de/aquacorner/l333.html

L287 have a bigger Caudal Fin.

Sven