Shocking?! Yes, but as always the truth sometimes hurt... (Hypancistrus sp. L236)

[johannes]

There are many people asking each other regarding L236, how come they do not look the L236 shown in books? After a period of time, i have came to a conclusion that the single picture of L236 cannot be used to represent the entire population of L236 in the wild. Another point is that, the fish in picture is a subadult fish so the pattern have not stabilised yet. This has led me to do some searching in various forums for pictures and references but to no avail, but after many hours of search, i have managed to obtain some pictures for personal reference and probbaly some explanation...

*all pictures shown in my post are not mine, taken by ingo and the rest are from planet catfish forum posted by the forummer there.

Below is the so called conventional L236 normally shown in books.:

*picture by ingo seidel

Let me show you a very nice Hypancistrus sp. posted by a foreigner in planet catfish forum:
PICTURE BELOW ARE OF THE SAME FISH TAKEN AFTER 6 MONTHS






i am gonna show you another fish, L400, posted by another forummer from Planet Catfish forum:



Few months later


I think bro Gecko has sth like the above L400 before in the past
(hope you dont mind me post your picture bro)


This thread serves to point out how the line eventually thickens in the fish that supposedly resembles L236 holotype can lose its special patterning as it age; therefore do not be misled by the only reference picture available online.

I think sometimes L400 can be comparable to L236..
all of them sweet-looking? yes... haha

To me at the end of the day, whatever L-number we have, as long as you like it, treasure them!

[celticfish]

As with all Hypancistrus with variable patterns it's pretty hard to nail it down.
Hopefully the "before and after" pictures of the same fish will help hobbyist make their own call.

The hobbyist I met at the L-number Days with L236 also mentioned that only approximately 1 in 10 fish look like the pictured fish in Datz magazine (the L-Numbers authority).
As such, how the other 9 fish look like is anyones guess...

[Fullraid]

Great information on the plecos, thanks for sharing.

[inimicus]

Wow...great job man! THanks!

[aquarius]

Thanks for sharing... By the way is the price of L400 and L236 the same cos frankly i can't tell the difference between the two?

[betta_gene]

I was just wondering those L236 in shops now are claimed wild caught but why are they coming in , in such small specimen like 1.5 inch to 2 inch unlike 333 or 66 that comes in 3 inches and above specimen

[johannes]

The L236 i posted at another thread at 1.5 inch are F1 (in which i indicated as juveniles), whereby the bigger ones (last picture) are wild caught.