Pleco Id Help?

[ktgruner]

HI all! Could someone help me ID this Pleco? He’s about 2-3 inches long. Apparently he was sold to my friend as a bristlenose, but I’m not convinced. Just want to make sure I have an adequate set up for him as I’m “adopting” him from my friend.

 

[Five 97]

Yes, it is a bristlenose pleco. IME, the bristles will typically appear around the 2.5" to 3" mark, in females they'll only appear as diminutive whiskers around the upper lip, whereas in males, the bristles will be obvious, (in fully grown males, they look like tentacles) running up all over the nose and snout.

They get to around 5" and I wouldn't keep these guys in anything smaller than a 20g.

 

[chromedome52]

Could be a she, as females don't usually have bristles. But it is still a bit small to be certain.

 

[Seth15]

Bristlenose plecos regardless of gender will have bristles. Females have smaller and less bristles than males. The one in the picture doesn't appear to have any bristles. Or maybe she is still young and we can't see them yet.

 

[ktgruner]

Thanks all! I just worried it may be a young common and I’m definitely not equipped for one of that size.

 

[Five 97]

Thanks all! I just worried it may be a young common and I’m definitely not equipped for one of that size.

NP, it most definitely isn't a common (trinidad) pleco.

 

[Demeter]

I'd guess a calico/marbled BN. Can't be certain of gender until it is 3in long, at which point most males will be developing bristles. Takes a lot longer for females to get the few bristles they often have and those few are always only on the edges of their lips, not over the nose like in males.

 

[Mcasella]

It is a female bn, chocolate or brown coloration (not a marble or calico). Sometimes when stressed they look like that, I have also had a female that went dark instead of light and what you posted was her normal colors (except she was a darker chocolate brown).