my L204s are here! (pics!)

[James0816]

Any belly shots? I only ask since the two I have have been identified as clowns while totally different patterns. Would like to match the pics.

 

[cellodaisy]

Any belly shots? I only ask since the two I have have been identified as clowns while totally different patterns. Would like to match the pics.

They don't spend much time on the glass, but I'll keep an eye out and try to get a belly shot.

 

[Chrisinator]

Wow! Those are awesome plecos! Share?

 

[cellodaisy]

Wow! Those are awesome plecos! Share?

Haha... not any time soon, that's for sure! If they get too territorial as they mature, I might need to rehome some... or I might just need more tanks.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure John (Snookn21) has more. He said they're seasonally available and he expects to have them in the future.

Any belly shots?

Managed to snag a few!

 

[fishycat]

Aw, lookit those lips!! :laugh: The marking on their belly looks almost like they're wearing some fancy robes. ^__^; Very lovely plecs!

 

[H2Ogal]

Wow, great pattern! They look like fancy designer plecos.

Hmm ... maybe they are? What's the L204 designation mean?

 

[Rbishop]

Nice plecos!

 

[cellodaisy]

Aw, lookit those lips!! :laugh: The marking on their belly looks almost like they're wearing some fancy robes. ^__^; Very lovely plecs!

Nice plecos!

Thanks!

Wow, great pattern! They look like fancy designer plecos.

Hmm ... maybe they are? What's the L204 designation mean?

There are so many species in the Loricariidae family (collectively called "plecos"---check 'em out at PlanetCatfish.com) that they haven't all been formally described by science and given species names. However, they're being imported and kept in aquaria, so the L-numbers are a semi-official way for hobbyists to distinguish between them.

From the Wikipedia article:

The L-number system is a semi-scientific classification system of catfish based on photographs of shipments of tropical catfish of the family Loricariidae published by the aquarium magazine DATZ (Die Aquarien und Terrarienzeitschrift).

An L-number is not an official scientific name, but it does allow people to identify various Loricariid catfish by a "common name" before the fish is actually officially described. When a Loricariid receives an official scientific name, the L-number is retired.

In general a specific L-number classification does not guarantee a discrete species—multiple L numbers have been given to different populations of the same species. To add to the confusion, sometimes a single L-number may actually be used for multiple species.

So "L204" is just a term used for a certain species of pleco (in the Panaque genus) that doesn't have a scientific name yet. The common name is "Flash Pleco." And they are AWESOME!

 

[Death Pony]

They look awesome! I think the L-333 my LFS has might be one of these.

 

[cellodaisy]

Thanks!

They're eating well and getting less skittish every day. I couldn't be happier with these little guys. I really hope I have at least one female in the group (they seem to be much harder to find than males), but it will be some time before it's possible to tell and it seems L204s are very difficult to sex. Either way, they are beautiful to watch and I'm very glad to have them. Can't wait to get them out of QT and into the 30g!