For anyone who doubts how large a pleco can get...

[budrecki]

This morning I visited Blue Springs State Park, just north of Orlando, FL. There is an estuaries fed by a hot spring, so the water stays 72f pretty much year round. The manatees congregate here in winter because of the warm water. Much to my surprise this is what I saw... :dive2:

What appears to be a pleco.... One of the rangers said these fish "clean" the algae and barnacles off of the manatees. Hard to tell the exact size, but this manatee was within 2 feet of the pier. The pleco looked to be about 20-24" and VERY FAT. I'm begining to wonder if 180g will be enough for my little Rufus.

 

[MoparORnoCAR]

the new LFS down the street from me has three plecos, the smallest being about 18 inches, the largest looks to be at least 24....MASSIVE!


Cool pic, btw!

 

[Leopardess]

Very cool, thank you for sharing!

 

[Roan Art]

So, what's a pleco doing in brackish water? Probably someone released them from their tank, but everyone says they couldn't live in brackish water?
Looking at the size of that thing, I'd say they do quite well.

Roan

 

[kyle3]

anyone know what species that is- i've never seem that "breed" before-

could explain the brackish water thing

 

[Emg]

Blue Springs isn't brackish water........I've been there a few times myself. It runs into the St Johns river and it's very fresh water. There are NO fish that live near the mouth of the hole in the ground where the water comes up from...because there is no oxygen in the water until it runs a couple hundred feet or so.

It's a pretty cool place, the water is crystal clear and you can see EVERYTHING in there. I went snorkeling up it a couple of times. Incredibly large fish in there. It may feel warm in the winter...but 72 is pretty nippy when you go in the summer....lol..

 

[budrecki]

kyle3

Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus

http://www.floridafisheries.com/fishes/non-native.html#suckers
(half way down the page)

 

[Bitsy]

Ewww, it talks about edibility on that page. I couldn't imagine just frying up a pl*co for dinner

 

[budrecki]

In "the shell"? Skin and all? I know I'm partial, but Rufus is not/should not/will not be meal!

 

[tricksterpup]

Ewww, it talks about edibility on that page. I couldn't imagine just frying up a pl*co for dinner

Hey in SA they are a food fish same with Piranahs.