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	Odontodes
Perky Mega Fish Posts: 1064 Kudos: 1036 Votes: 162 Registered: 24-Nov-2003	Can someone explain what these are and how to find out if the Plec I am looking at has very long odontodes or not?
Posted 26-Jan-2006 12:04
Cup_of_Lifenoodles Fish Guru Posts: 2755 Kudos: 1957 Votes: 30 Registered: 09-Sep-2004	Basically spikes---small defensive spines all over the plec, usually located along the pecs and head region. I'll try to snap a few shots of them for you later tonight. Last edited by Cup_of_Lifenoodles at 17-Dec-2004 09:56
Posted 26-Jan-2006 12:04
Perky Mega Fish Posts: 1064 Kudos: 1036 Votes: 162 Registered: 24-Nov-2003	Thanks Cup_Of_Lifenoodles
Posted 26-Jan-2006 12:04
sirbooks Moderator Sociopath Posts: 3875 Kudos: 5164 Votes: 932 Registered: 26-Jul-2004	Yeah, they are small spines that (depending on the pleco species) cover parts of the body. In some plecos, only males have odontodes. In the below picture, you can see some odontodes on this butterfly pleco's pectoral fins. [/font] And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."
Posted 26-Jan-2006 12:04
Perky Mega Fish Posts: 1064 Kudos: 1036 Votes: 162 Registered: 24-Nov-2003	Kwl Kwl Thnx
Posted 26-Jan-2006 12:04
Shinigami Ichthyophile Catfish/Oddball Fan Posts: 9962 Kudos: 2915 Registered: 22-Feb-2001	Odontodes also can primarily grow right before the gills, especially on large Panaque species. In the above pic you can see some of those odontodes. -------------------------------------------- The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.
Posted 26-Jan-2006 12:04
Cup_of_Lifenoodles Fish Guru Posts: 2755 Kudos: 1957 Votes: 30 Registered: 09-Sep-2004	In this male zebra, the odontodes are present throughout the flank of the body, as shown. P.S., the macro on my camera sucks, despite it being 5 mps. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v398/Kleevage/odd.jpg
Posted 26-Jan-2006 12:04
Joe Potato Fish Addict Kind of a Big Deal Posts: 869 Votes: 309 Registered: 09-Jan-2001	I had always thought that the defensive mechanisms on the body were called "scutes" (sort of backwards hook things that get caught in nets and scrape up hands), while odontodes were found strictily on the head and gills. Am I wrong? Joe Potato
Posted 26-Jan-2006 12:04
Cup_of_Lifenoodles Fish Guru Posts: 2755 Kudos: 1957 Votes: 30 Registered: 09-Sep-2004	Odontodes of the gill region ARE the things that get stuck in nets and are used primarily for protection. Any bony, chitonous, overlapping protrusion of the outer layer of an animal's body can be considered a "scute". Odontodes are not individual scales, but are bunched up. They are generally found on the pectoral fins/head/operc and will sometimes extend down to the pelvic region, deterring would be preadators that prefer to engulf prey head first. Interestingly enough, hypancistrus sp, some of the spiniest plecs, when threatened, will enter their caves tail first, exposing only their prickly heads. However, odontodal growths in many species can edge down the sides of their bodies for some distance---such extentions are usually present only in males. Last edited by Cup_of_Lifenoodles at 18-Dec-2004 00:40
Posted 26-Jan-2006 12:04
Perky Mega Fish Posts: 1064 Kudos: 1036 Votes: 162 Registered: 24-Nov-2003	Thanks this has been a real help and should help me to sex some Queen Arabesques when I get some!
Posted 26-Jan-2006 12:04
Cup_of_Lifenoodles Fish Guru Posts: 2755 Kudos: 1957 Votes: 30 Registered: 09-Sep-2004	It's really quite easy---much more so than other hypancistrus sp. Males have paterned bellies and those of the female are totally white.
Posted 26-Jan-2006 12:04
Perky Mega Fish Posts: 1064 Kudos: 1036 Votes: 162 Registered: 24-Nov-2003	Not always it isn`t. There are lots of cases where males have had the white belly
Posted 26-Jan-2006 12:04
Cup_of_Lifenoodles Fish Guru Posts: 2755 Kudos: 1957 Votes: 30 Registered: 09-Sep-2004	Males rarely, if ever have white bellies. I observe all of the queens when we get them---the patterned bellied fish always have thicker odontodal growth running throughout much of the body, thicker pectoral fins, etc. Last edited by Cup_of_Lifenoodles at 19-Dec-2004 15:17
Posted 26-Jan-2006 12:04
Perky Mega Fish Posts: 1064 Kudos: 1036 Votes: 162 Registered: 24-Nov-2003	I am just going on experience with other people and they have had males with white bellies. I know Males usually have patterned bellies but to make sure I wanna check to see that they have longer odontodes and other signs.
Posted 26-Jan-2006 12:04
Cup_of_Lifenoodles Fish Guru Posts: 2755 Kudos: 1957 Votes: 30 Registered: 09-Sep-2004	Thicker, spinier pectoral fins are the way to go then. It's hard to actually tell if the pectoral fins are thick without comparing an individual with tohers of it's own kind. Last edited by Cup_of_Lifenoodles at 19-Dec-2004 15:18
Posted 26-Jan-2006 12:04


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