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A while back, I saw a pleco labeled as butterfly pleco. It's coloration was a yellowish-tan with dark brown spots, and I really liked it. However, knowing that some plecos can get simply HUGE, I was smart and did a little research about it

What I found was a 6" pleco that has black and white stripes... very different compared to what the store had. I found online that it can drastically changed colors, and I asked here and basically got a responce that they can easily change colors.

So yesterday I was at that store again and I went ahead and got it. And last night, I was checking around for juvinile colorations for the butterfly pleco, and did not find anything similar to what I have. HOWEVER, I did stumble across a juvinille pleco that did resemble mine, the sailfin pleco

Sailfins get 18", while butterflys get 6", BIG difference. Anyway, I looked carefully at both the picture and my pleco. The picture has more spots than background color, while mine has more background than spots. Also, in the store, when the person was trying to catch it, the spots faded away instead of the background darkening. From what I've seen of adult sailfins, the background darkens when stressed.

I'm trying to get pictures of mine, but its hard. Anyone have any idea of what I might have?

...It sounds like one of the several species of hillstream loach (Gastromyzon), which are sometimes labled as "butterfly plecos". They only grow to about 3" long.







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I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.

I give you points for thinking of that Natalie, but it most certainly IS NOT a hillstream loach. His new addition is in fact a pleco, we're just not sure what kind. Thanks anyway

If you image Google "butterfly pleco" you get [link=this]http://images.google.com/images?q=butterfly%20pleco&hl=en&lr=&rls=RNWE,RNWE:2004-44,RNWE:en&sa=N&tab=wi" style="COLOR: #FF82AB[/link]. His pleco is about this size currently (see the 2nd pic from the top, on the far right), but doesn't have those markings. As Racso said, the markings are light body with dark spots. It looks like [link=this]http://www.epsitec.ch/urox/Elements/aquariophilie/pleco%20royal.jpg" style="COLOR: #FF82AB[/link], but the markings on the dorsal fin are different, and the dorsal isn't that large. The base of the fin is spotted, but it has lines towards the top. Am i making any sense???

Anyone know? HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP!!!!

><>Dani<><

Could it be some kind of Hypostomus species? Or can you narrow it down to a genus or even a subfamily?

Here are the Hypostomus spp.

[link=http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/loricari/hypostom/g_thumbs.htm]http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/loricari/hypostom/g_thumbs.htm" style="COLOR: #FFFFFF[/link]

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I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.

Like I said in my first post, the mine looks similar to a juvi Sailfin, such as [link=this one]http://www.planetcatfish.com/images/full/loricariidae/pterygoplichthys/gibbiceps/1.jpg" style="COLOR: #FFFFFF[/link] found at planet catfish.

However, there are some differences. Mine is much lighter in color than that one. The background is basically a little darker than the FP background. The spots are about the same size, however there are fewer spots total, and they are disperced throughout the body more. Also, butlike adult sailfins, the spots fade away when stressed, the background stays the same color.

If you got a pic it would help.


Herman

Last edited by Herman63 at 11-Feb-2005 11:24

Without a picture, it's hard to get a positive ID. I can only assume it's another species of pteri. Another possibly would be the puesdacanth. genus.

Alright, I'll see what I can do to get a picture. The only problem is that he is being really shy still. Thanks anyway for trying.

doesn't by chance look like one of [link=these]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/Photo%20Booth/46605.html" style="COLOR: #FF8080[/link] does it?

no sorry, but the background of mine is really close to the light coloration on the background of the last pleco you have listed in that post (L93)

Sounds like a Gibby(sailfin) to me. If he raises his dorsal fin, it should be as tall(back to tip) as his head(nose to dorsal). Sailfins come in all shades of brown and can change colors in the blink of an eye. Also they are common in the trade and I have seen them labeled as "butterflys" numerous times. They also come "marbled", but sounds like yours is the spotted sailfin. Pics would put it to rest. Hope this helps.

If you don't mind, how much did you pay for him?

Price can sometimes help in identifying them, because if he was less than $20, he's probably a fairly common species. If he was more than $60, however, you probably have a rarer pleco.

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I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.

Well, he popped out again and now I see that his coloration has darkened and he now looks like the sailfin pictures I've seen. I'm now 99.9% sure its a sailfin . Since I work at a fish store, I can take him in and get some money for him, even though I wont get what I paid for him, $15.