Mystery Hoplo! ID needed, please! <3

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Did my best with photos, was adjusting camera settings as I went, and had to use a glass vase since my Ciano cube is full of shrimp now, and wanted glass, but curved glass, and a little too small for him! But friend said to upload even the blurry ones, since the tail markings can distinguish between two species, and tail only really opens when he's in motion.

Have 17 pic on computer, limit is like 12 I think, so more coming in comments, then have a few from my phone I can upload here, if it helps!

Spoiler: Jumpscare warning, monster inside

And the last one for the OP - brace yourselves! I was messing with the camera settings since I still haven't got the hang of this nice camera of Dad's, but it can take amazing pics in the right hands. Anyway, gave me a jumpscare when I reviewed the pics, so this is your warning!

 

[CassCats]

Megalechis thoracata

Heavy body spotting but lacks dark caudal bar (rules out m. picta). 9 dorsal fin rays (rules out l. pectorale), orange-yellow pectoral fin spines typical of mature male (rules out h. littorale and h. punctatum)
Small eyes vs large eyes and lacks a forked tail (rules out dianema genus).

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Megalechis thoracata

Heavy body spotting but lacks dark caudal bar (rules out m. picta). 9 dorsal fin rays (rules out l. pectorale), orange-yellow pectoral fin spines typical of mature male (rules out h. littorale and h. punctatum)
Small eyes vs large eyes and lacks a forked tail (rules out dianema genus).

Thank you so much hon! I knew you'd be able to ID him! Lovely to see you, even if it's a flying visit - but you are missed here See you for a chat and a catch up elsewhere

Okay, time for some dinner, and some research! If I'm gonna keep him, need to find out everything he needs and wants, origins, whether I can find friends for him -will put the word out and contact the people who gave him to me, see if they can source more. Shame they're in Wales, but that's not too far. About 1.5 - 2 hrs away.


Edited because I know the difference between their, they're and there. Honest.

 

[anewbie]

They are a nice docile fish; best kept in a large group.

 

[Naughts]

whether I can find friends for him

They're in stock at Sweet Knowle, regular £6.95, albino £12.95.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

They're in stock at Sweet Knowle, regular £6.95, albino £12.95.

Eeek!

I'm not ready yet, have to do a lot of thinking, reading, and tank set up design first... but it's good to know they're around locally, and while I winced, it really isn't a bad price for a fish like this!

Thank you for checking that out for me! If I keep him I definitely want to do a group since they're semi social.

So far, in my little over 24 hour experience, they make me think of a cross between a cory and a botiid loach. The curiosity, activity, checking out every nook and cranny, wanting groups of 5-6 or so... but also more peaceful and can gulp air like cories too.

I liked him straight away... I had planned for a tank with nano fish though! But perhaps I could swing another large tank upstairs...

Have already had a look on Gumtree to see how second hand tanks are going for cheap!

 

[Colin_T]

It's a boy (orange pectoral fin ray)
And they changed the scientific name from Hoplosternum thoracatum to Megalechis thoracata as noted by CassCats.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

It's a boy (orange pectoral fin ray)
And they changed the scientific name from Hoplosternum thoracatum to Megalechis thoracata as noted by CassCats.

While I do appreciate the new classifications, and that scientific names do need to be changed and updated as we learn more, discover more species, and DNA testing etc reveals how they truly relate to one another and where they've diverged into different species and sub-specie etc, seriously, I do! and I am working on learning the Latin and new names!

But it's hard not to short-hand it as "hoplo", because it's just so much easier to pronounce and say! I have no idea how to pronounce Megalechis, and sounds daft when shortened to "Mega"

ETA to add italics.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Hoplo is also one of those words that sounds exactly like what it's trying to describe. Suits their boisterous energy when bopping about checking out every nook and cranny. It's a cute name!

If I do wind up keeping, Hoplo might just have to become his pet name.

 

[Colin_T]

I was happy with Hoplo and actually had to look up Megalechis to confirm they had changed the name. It's been Hoplosternum for about 100 years

Megga legs, but the fish doesn't have any legs
or
Megga lick us. One of the dogs at the park used to try to do that to everyone. Don't put your face too close coz it would megga lick us

 

[CassCats]

End of the day, like the corydoras group who have been changed, people will still call the collective group by the abbreviated family name--hoplos lol just like people will still call corydoras corydoras as a whole. I don't think that's inherently wrong as a whole.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

End of the day, like the corydoras group who have been changed, people will still call the collective group by the abbreviated family name--hoplos lol just like people will still call corydoras corydoras as a whole. I don't think that's inherently wrong as a whole.

It's context specific really, isn't it? If the topic is scientific, or it's just general chat or say, someone listing their tank stocking as a whole, it's normal for us to use common names. We all know which species I mean when I say "pygmy cories and otos", and using the scientific names for pygmaeus and three different subspecies of oto would be unnecessary, confusing for beginners, and look pretentious. Plus have to go back and use italics too, haha.

But for anything scientific, or needing to know the specific species of fish due to most having multiple common names, then using the scientific name is essential.

 

[CassCats]

Yep, for specific it's best to use the species name, but as a whole, the entire group are deemed "hoplos" or "hoplo cats". Think of it like the informal way of referring to the whole group.

If someone asked me what species I kept/bred, then I'd leave specific scientific names, or with identifications.

But if someone asked me what fish I liked best, I'd just tell them "hoplos" lol and that would include hoplosternum, megalechis, lepthoplosternum, dianema, etc as an umbrella term.

If that explains what I mean haha

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

@Naughts I see you approve of the name Hoplo for him!

Any other name suggestions welcome! I'm rubbish at coming up with names!

Need to get a good pic of blue betta boy too, so people can see him and give name suggestions. I'm drawing a blank right now, and it took me weeks to settle on a name for my dog!

 

[CassCats]

You can always post a picture, I can have my son throw you some names for them. Can't guarantee it'll be anything quality. You can get something as simple as Red or Puff, or something weird. Like Sharpnose.