gold nugget?

I was told this was a gold nugget. NEW PIC!

about 2 inches.. small gold dots.. blackish body, but the tail and top fins are not yellow??

do juvenile l18's look like this?

There are 3 known species that general public refers to as 'gold nugget'. L18, L81/L85, and L177. All three species have different degree of yellow coloration on the dorsal and caudal fin. L18 has the least yellow coloration on the fins (yellow edging on the fins), so yours maybe that. As for dot size, L18 and L177 have the larger dots while L81/L85 has the finer dots (and more dots). Your picture is too dark and not showing any body and fins to better ID the fish.

When compare the different 'gold nuggets', bear in mind that adult fish are vastly different than a juvenile of the same species as the coloration as well as dot size will change.

Hi all,
You need to look at the junction of the dorsal and adipose fins. In Baryancistrus spp. they are joined with no gap between them. Most (all?) other plecs have a clear gap.



cheers Darrel

All 'gold nuggets' are Baryancistrus xanthellus. The picture you 'took' from Ralf Binninger is a Mango pleco L47, Baryancistrus chrysolomus.

I'd say that's definitely not a gold nugget. Even juveniles have the gold band, the adults may lose it though. Hard to tell from the picture but looks more ancistrus to me. Have seen some nicer common brown ancistrus sold as gold nuggets.

I believe Darrel was using that pic to simply illustrate the dorsal/adipose connection he was taking about, not make an I'd.

Hi all,

All 'gold nuggets' are Baryancistrus xanthellus. The picture you 'took' from Ralf Binninger is a Mango pleco L47, Baryancistrus chrysolomus.

Click to expand...

Sorry should have made that clear, Lorne is right it was just the best photo I could find in the "Plecoplanet pleco profiles" to show the fins in Baryancistrus, it wasn't intended as an ID.

The picture is used with the permission of Ralf Binninger, all the pictures in the profiles are used with the permission of the copyright owners. <Pleco profiles>.

cheers Darrel

I updated my post with a better pic. Thanks for helping.

Looks like L128 or L200.

Yup, not 'gold nugget' as all. Is most likely a L128. L200 has a more yellowish tone to it, I don't see that from the picture, even it is off focus and off color, I see a mostly bluish hue to it. So I would put my money on L128 'Blue Phantom'.

yup looks like L128 or L200 to me as well. The yellow green tinge and yellow dots show this to me. cheers jk :thumbup:

Blue phantom.