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Ah, the worst number for triskaidekaphobics (people who fear the number thirteen)... Well, such is not the case for the Rare Fish of the Week, but there is a certain amount of mysteriousness about this week's fish...

RFotW #13 -- Panaque suttonorum -- Blue Eyed Plec



Ah, the legendary Blue Eyed Plec, or Blue Eyed Panaque. Though the Zebra Plec may be the plec generally thought as being uber-rare, it's scarcity, even with the ban placed, is quite surpassed by this fish. This fish is almost never seen on the market, and when it is, it can be easily confused with its close relative Panaque cochliodon, which looks almost the same, blue eyes and everything. In fact, I can't be sure that the fish in the photo is a Blue Eyed Plec...

After all, you have to admit that far fewer people know of the Blue Eyed Plec than the Zebra Plec. Why is it so rare in the hobby? Well, there are a certain number of thoughts to the rarity, mostly stemming from what's happening in its natural habitat. According to PlanetCatfish, one part of this fish's natural habitat has been polluted (apparently by cyanide from some sort of mining company?)to the point that they're pretty much near extinct there. The other part of this fish's natural habitat is on land controlled by a drug cartel, though it's impossible to go there and actually check if the fish still exist in those waters. Well, that's life, isn't it? Incidentally, this fish isn't listed as endangered, at least to my knowledge.

Basically, this fish is impossible to get? you might be thinking. Well, perhaps, but apparently these fish are still somehow making it into the market. Of course, there is no guarantee that they're not Panaque cochliodon, but there's no harm in writing a care sheet for this pretty awesome looking fish anyway.

Obviously, one thing to note is that this is indeed one of your large-bodied Panaque species, swimming wood shavers and everything. As such, driftwood should be provided for this fish to chew upon. Appropriate amounts of vegetable matter would be good to feed. Good water movement is appreciated, of course. In care, this fish is basically quite like Panaque nigrolineatus to my knowledge, though there isn't much info on this fish in the first place to go off of.

And price, of course. I have read everywhere from $200-700 for this awfully rare fish. Apparently before the pollution occured they could be bought just $10-15 wholesale, but that is obviously no longer the case.

Links:

[link=http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?ID=12217&genusname=Panaque&speciesname=suttonorum]http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?ID=12217&genusname=Panaque&speciesname=suttonorum" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]

[link=http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/loricari/panaque/887_f.php]http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/loricari/panaque/887_f.php" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]

[link=http://www.planetcatfish.com/faq/index.php?qid=6&frommostpopular=yes]http://www.planetcatfish.com/faq/index.php?qid=6&frommostpopular=yes" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]

Past RFOTW:
1. [link=Polynemus paradiseus -- Paradise threadfin]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Recovery%20Room/46807.html" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]
2. [link=Anableps anableps -- Four-Eyed Fish]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Recovery%20Room/47270.html" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]
3. [link=Hypancistrus zebra -- Zebra Plec]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Recovery%20Room/47753.html?200409261201" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]
4. [link=Potamotrygon sp. -- Pearl Ray]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Recovery%20Room/47753.html?200409261201" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]
5. [link=Merodontotus Tigrinus -- Tigrinus Catfish, Zebra Shovelnose]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Recovery%20Room/48196.html?200410031445" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]
6. [link=Rhinopias aphanes -- Merlet's Scorpionfish, Lacy Scorpionfish]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Recovery%20Room/48511.html?200410101249" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]
7. [link=Tetraodon pustulatus]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Recovery%20Room/48859.html?200410171215" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]
8. [link=Astronotus orbicularis -- Bumblebee Oscar]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Recovery%20Room/49209.html?200410241022" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]
9. [link=Parambassis pulcinella -- Rhino Glassfish, Humphead Glassfish]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Recovery%20Room/49556.html?200410312127" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]
10. [link=Lepisosteus platyrhincus -- Golden Florida Gar]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Recovery%20Room/49807.html?200411070900" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]
11. [link=Polyodon spathula -- Missippi Paddlefish]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Recovery%20Room/50120.html?200411141732" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]
12. [link=Pterois radiata -- Radiata Lionfish, Clearfin Turkeyfish]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Recovery%20Room/50432.html?200411211707" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link][/font]

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

At least I can compliment the drug cartels on one thing--they are inadvertantly preventing this species from going extinct.

Funny you should mention this fish---my boss saw one at a pet Las Vegas convention earlier this year (highly suspected not to be the true suttonorum), and it had a tag of $500. Keep in mind this stand had H. zebras going for $10. 200 bucks seems like quite a steal for one of these 'beauts.

Last edited by Cup_of_Lifenoodles at 28-Nov-2004 16:39

Probably doesn't help that (as far as I know) it's harder to breed than Zebras.

It used to be more common, judging from all the mentions it got in AFM during the early 90s (I bought some back issues a while ago), hopefully it'll come back.

-Molly
Visit shelldwellers.com!

Much of that difficulty in spwaning probably stems from the fact that you can hardly even get your hands on a single specimen, let alone the 4+ you should have to form a pair. Zebras aren't considered "hard" fish to breed, though.

Nice pleco....
I dont think the Zebra plecos is so easy to breed.
As soon as my tank is recycled..i will buy 2 Zebra plecos

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I know human beings and fish can co-exist peacefully.

I think it's a good looking fish.... It's different from what I'm used too. I like him but would have only considered him in the 10-15 dollar range...