orange seam pleco = L095 ?

LiSCN · Post by **LiSCN** » 05 Feb 2003, 05:27

i bought this pleco a few weeks ago advertised as an orange seam pleco and is/was about 4" .. i've tried to identify this pleco ever since and even before i bought him .. can anyone identify him? the closest i came to is a L095 but i dunno

..from what i have seen .. he's got orange highlighted fins and tail also an yellow/orange mouth .. i know the pics are crap quality .. but it's the best i can do for now :

thanks

Yann · Post by **Yann** » 05 Feb 2003, 08:07

Hi!

Well hopefully for you it is not Pseudorinelepis genibarbis as these would really grow huge!
Here you have a rather samll species which will not exceed 4-5 inches.
I believe it is either L106 or L122.
Cheers
Yann

LiSCN · Post by **LiSCN** » 05 Feb 2003, 16:38

wow ... i do believe you're right on the money!! however im kinda sad now that i know it's not gonna get much larger

anyhow .. i tried finding some info on the differences between the L106 and the L122 so i could identify which one was mine but i couldn't find any .. the info i did find is that the L106 and the L122 are both spotted orange seam plecos? how is this possible?

Yann · Post by **Yann** » 05 Feb 2003, 19:33

Hi!

Well L# does not represent a species in the scientific way, one species can have several L#, it is possible because it has been found in different locality.
Here both of them are found in Venezuela.
I would personnally give the edge to L122 over L106 because of the markings.
Under what name did you buy him?
Can you make a picture of the mouth and ventral region!
Cheers
Yann

LiSCN · Post by **LiSCN** » 05 Feb 2003, 20:00

that maybe easier said then done .. he's really not one for sucking on the glass .. i also tried catching him to hold up but he's WAY to fast and i dont want to take all the decor out .. but i will get that pic for ya sooner or later

Post by **Shane** » 05 Feb 2003, 22:11

Webmaster,
Your fish comes from the upper Orinoco and they are exported out of Puerto Carreno on the Colombian side and Puerto Ayacucho on the Venezuelan side (check out a map). I guess I needed to clarify this at some point, so here is the answer on L 106 and L 122.
In DATZ, both L 106 and L 122 are the same fish and both came into Germany via Venezuela. So, technically, if you follow DATZ they are the exact same fish. The fish pictured in Aqualog as L 106 and L 122 (it is the same fish in all three photos) is a actually a juvenile Chaetostoma guairense from northern Venezuela. In the Baensch photo index C. guairense is pictured on page 315 and labeled L106/L 122. On page 344, the fish from the upper Orinoco (and DATZ) is pictured as L 122. Young C. guairense and females are easily confused with the fish from the upper Orinoco.
In the end, if we follow DATZ which is the original source, your fish is both L 106 and L 122. Many fishes have been assigned multiple L numbers. In fact some fishes have a half dozen L numbers!
Your fish will reach about 5 inches standard length. They are not at all aggressive and I am keeping four in a 40 gallon tank in hopes of eventually spawning them. They eat lots of cucumber, squash, green beans and freeze dried blood worms. Given their lack of color compared to other Orinoco loricariids (like L 52, L 120, L200, etc) they are not exported a lot and sell for very cheap. I would say the going price here (retail) averages less than a dollar per fish.
-Shane