[snowsnail]

I'm hoping someone here can put my mind to rest... I was told by the guy at my petstore that this little guy was a Bristlenose Pleco when I bought him (or her?)

I came face to face with a massive Common Pleco today and started to get a bit nervous at the sheer size of it. I'm new to keeping fish and I'm finding it difficult to tell them apart. I can't see any bristles on my fish, but maybe thats because of how young it it? (About an inch long.) or maybe because this fish is female?

I'm just a bit worried that I might have a baby Common Pleco on my hands.

These are the best pictures I could get of him. He's very quick and spends most of the time hiding...

Any input would be helpful! Thank you!

 

[jaysee]

I don't think it looks like a common pleco, but it is small, and fish often look different when they are grown up - especially patterned fish. There are a lot of bristle nose pleco species. Catfish Common Names Beginning with B

 

[snowsnail]

I counted the spines on the back of its dorsal fin too. Looks like it's got 7 or 8. I read Common Plecos will have about 13?

The biggest tank I've got is 40 gallons, which is my real concern. I'm not prepared to have a foot long fish on my hands so I'm really hoping the guy at the petstore was right. (My Pleco was in a tank labeled Bristlenose, but all the ones except for the one I got were Albino Bristlenose.)

 

[Byron]

You might find some help in our profile of the Bristlenose; if a BN it will be in the Ancistrus genus and these are fairly easy to identify as it explains:
http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/catfish-species/ancistrus-sp-194617/

 

[rexpepper651]

aww its so cute! i love lil plecos!