When Is A Pitbull Not A Pitbull?

[Egmel]

I think that my little plecs may not both be pitbulls! (If in fact either of them are!)

I think the larger of the 2 may be a female Gold Spot Dwarf Plec Parotocinclus spilosoma It does the colour changing thing going from sandy to quite dark brown and has the same shape as the females shown on planet catfish.

I need to get fresh photos but here's an old one of her looking very pale having just got into the tank:

I don't know about the other one, the face shape suggests Pitbull, but I'm still getting the hang of identifying fish!
Here's a photo, again taken early on

Also which fins are which as I'm trying to decipher this bit...

Males have longer pelvic fins, the tip of which extends beyond the origin of the anal fin

...but I don't know which fins I'm meant to be looking at!

 

[smithrc]

hmmm....

I can see where your coming from... but i think the colouration differance is a lot less pronounced.

I was pretty sure mine are pitbulls and look like yours too...

I'll try and get a few piccys to compare

looking at this image...

http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/image.php?image_id=1162

That looks just like out darker 'loner'

The other 4 are lighter... hmmmm (again)

 

[Cheffi]

Don't know the answer but those are nice photo's Egmel

 

[smithrc]

Right... I've been sat in front of the zeb tank with the 'pitbulls' in and have got a few photos... (loads of the zebs )

Looks like you've hit the nail on the head

First, 2 pics of the darker 'loner'

Then the group of 4 (we have 5 total)

 

[Egmel]

Don't know the answer but those are nice photo's Egmel

Thank you, as usual they were the best of a bad bunch!

Right... I've been sat in front of the zeb tank with the 'pitbulls' in and have got a few photos... (loads of the zebs )

Looks like you've hit the nail on the head

I thought as much, I'm still debating whether the darker one is a gold spot or one of the other types of Parotocinclus, there seem to be a few and I'm not certain that all the pictures are under the right name!

Have you sexed yours for definite smithrc? The group of 4 look very peaceful together, ours are still fighting over stuff which makes me think they may both be males (never did work out which fin is which). I've added a new bit of bog wood that is darker than the mopani wood in the hope that the darker of the 2 will take over it, then they can have a bit each. He's sort of getting the idea but keeps on returning to the 'old familiar' mopani wood.

Hopefully I'll get a chance to sit down and take some more photos this evening. Unfortunately we're still having guppy trouble at the moment

 

[smithrc]

I assumed the darker more territorial one was male... looks like its a different fish

I'll try and sex the 4 others - as some are looking very plump - I i have 4 females - I'll be gutted!
I have an annoying habit of ending up with same sex groups!

 

[Egmel]

I assumed the darker more territorial one was male... looks like its a different fish

I'll try and sex the 4 others - as some are looking very plump - I i have 4 females - I'll be gutted!
I have an annoying habit of ending up with same sex groups!

Well I managed to get some new piccies, they're all on my flickr site so the easiest way is to look at this lot

 

[smithrc]

looks like we both have a dwarf gold spot to me

the head shape is longer than the pitbulls and the colouration is different when you look closely

now - I just need to try and sex the pitbulls!

 

[andyw823]

Here is a pic of my pit bull! In the shop he/she was a dull grey but in my tank its more of a brown!you can see by the nose that your are different from mine, my has the "rubber nose" look, which is anothr name for the pitbull

 

[TammyLiz]

Andy, I've made the same mistake getting "bulldog" and "pitbull" mixed up. Both have "bull" in there. They started the thread talking about pitbull plecs, which are a smaller species than your rubbernose. By the way, your rubbernose is cute. I have one, too, but he's more grey than yours.

I've owned the pitbulls, too, for a few months this summer but they both died and I never figured out exactly why.

 

[smithrc]

As Tammy said - thats a nice Bulldog not a pitbull

easy mix up as they are both breeds of dog