why doesnt my bristlenose

[Bloo]

mmmmm I'm still not convinced, but suppose that will have to be good enough

 

[lilfishie]

Well it looks like my juvinile common bristlenose who is 1 year old at the end of July

 

[Tetramad]

My bristlenose had these yellow markings plus a band around the base of the tail. I questioned their ID at the LFS but was told they are common bristlenose. The yellow markings have started to fade and the band at the base of the tail has gone. Mine was only 1 1/2" when I got it, its about 2" now.

Mark.

 

[Airli]

so are yous saying that these ARE bristlenoses and the fact that they dont have bristles just means that they are female?

 

[lilfishie]

either female or juvinilies

 

[Cavafish]

my bn's also have the tail markings shown here.

Both my girls have some small (short) bristles around their 'chin' (they look like Michael Eavis )

I have been told that they can grow up without any at all though.


Have fun with them - they are great fish!

 

[Bloo]

Ok Ok....... CFC, I will retract my doubt
It's just that I had several common bristlies over the past 20 odd years and never have any of them had any white dorsal fin or tail markings. It must have just been coincidence then......
To live and learn it is

 

[nitro]

Yep it should be defiantely a female. My female BN is about 9-10cm and doesnt have a single bristle on her.

 

[SirMinion]

100% certain that it's a bristlenose. No doubt in my mind.
There are over 70 species of bristlenose and two are sold as 'common bristlenoses', one is as CFC said, is ancistrus temminckii and the other is ancistrus dolichopterus
In this case I'd say that rather than a temminckii which has a more marbled pattern, what you have there is a female a. dolichopterus, a spotty species with white fin edging and females which often have very few or no bristles at all.

Of course, individuals vary, so it could still be a nicely marked a temminckii, but it's definately a bristlenose.

 

[CFC]

As far as i'm aware A.temminckii and A.dolichopterus are actually the same fish, for years A.temminckii was known as a synom of A.dolichopterus and then scientists decided to look into it more and found that temminckii was actually the valid name and changed it back. But i could be wrong

 

[bunjiweb]

the lighter markings on the tail are simply the fins growing. You will also find lighter patches appear on the BN's body, which is it growing also.

Looks deffinately like a common BN to me, whether it is male or female is hard to say as already stated males dont grow the bristles immediatly.

I would go with CFCs and Sir Minions advice that they are females though..

Ben

 

[pica_nuttalli]

although it could be a late bloomer; my (very) male bn didn't really have any bristles until he was about 6~7 cm long. now he's got a faceful and an attitude to match!

i guess what i'd tell you is not to worry over it unless you were hoping for a breeding pair. if you've got 2 females, count yourself lucky! i don't want to contemplate the state of my tank with two males in...

 

[SirMinion]

I've done a bit more research and here's what I've found:

It seems that a. temminickii and a. dolichopterus are indeed different species, but true a. temminickii are very rare and almost never imported.

What has happend is that imports of a. dolichopterus have been coming in labled and sold as a. temminickii for years.

So we were both right, a. temminickii and a. dolichopterus are different species like I said, but the fish found in stores are all the same species (a. dolichopterus) whether they are labled as a. temminickii or a. dolichopterus

So the fish you have is almost certainly a bristlenose with the 'hobby scientific name' of a. temminickii and the actual scientific name of a. dolichopterus

Now I think I need to go and lie down in a darkened room for a while.

 

[CFC]

Oh the joys of the scientific names of fish

Ancisterus dolichopterus is the new scientific name for L183 or as it is commonly known the starlight bristlenose http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/loric...istru/221_f.php

Ancisterus temminckii is as Sir minion has said a very rare fish and never imported, however all the common bristlenoses in the trade are still called A.temminckii http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/loric...stru/1290_f.php

So the actual species we get in the shops and what the one in question here is really Ancisterus sp3 which are yet to be assigned a valid scientific name http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/loric...cistru/49_f.php

All very confusing and mind bogglingly dull

 

[Bloo]

So the actual species we get in the shops and what the one in question here is really Ancisterus sp3 which are yet to be assigned a valid scientific name http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/loric...cistru/49_f.php

and that dorsal view of the juvenile looks suspiciously like the OP's fish