# Pitbull "otocinclus"



## stcyrwm (Apr 20, 2005)

Saw this name on some fish at an LFS and wondered if anyone was familiar with them. They do look similar to an oto the way they were eating algae off of leaves in the tank but I can't find anything definitive on them. 

Thanks, Bill


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

Hmm, I wonder if they aren't referring to something like an SAE or a similar fish in that category. I hate it when they put their own titles on fish....


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## Gumby (Aug 1, 2005)

Giant otocinclus:
http://www.elmersaquarium.com/image_fish/01_Catfish_GIANT_OTOCINCLUS.jpg

L187a or L187b Chaetostoma sp.:
http://www.aquariumfish.net/images_01/x1010032.jpg


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## stcyrwm (Apr 20, 2005)

*Any German translators out there?*

I have found reference to "Pitbull Otocinclus" on several German sites. I can't quite understand my Google Translator. I can't quite get whether it is saying this fish is an Otocinclus or just related to the otocinclus. Is "Hypostominae FR" a type of otocinclus or a separate family?

Here is the translation and the original is below:

In the trade there is for some time again and again a small, Otocinclus similar Saugwels, which is sold under the name Pittbull pittbull-Wels or pit bulletin Otocinclus. I purchased three animals and assumed "pit bulletin" was one of these word creations of the trade. But the small wels is called actually pit bulletins Harnischwels or Gruendlingswels, the scientific name reads Hypostominae FR . Originally this Welsart probably comes from the Rio Xingu into Brazil.
From the form the pit bulletins of welse resemble the well-known Otocinclus , only that the head of Hypostominae is perfectly round, therefore perhaps the dog name. Also the eyes of Hypostominae are not flat because of the sides, but protruding, nearly so similarly above as with frogs or crocodiles. The Welsart will not be seen particularly largely, only about 5cm. coloured is brown tones, whereby the Tierchen appears rather bright, almost grey in one to bright basins, or if they feel because of other reasons unwohl. One should hold the tender Kerlchen together e.g. in no case with ruppigen or impudent fish, since Hypostominae does not have any ability of getting through, but then is verschuechtert and lies only rainless somewhere.

Im Handel gibt es seit einiger Zeit immer wieder einen kleinen, Otocinclusähnlichen Saugwels, der unter dem Namen Pittbull-Wels oder Pitbull-Otocinclus verkauft wird. Ich erstand drei Tiere und ging davon aus, daß "Pitbull" eine dieser Wortschöpfungen des Handels sei. Doch der kleine Wels heißt tatsächlich Pitbull Harnischwels oder Gründlingswels, der wissenschaftliche Name lautet Hypostominae sp. Ursprünglich kommt diese Welsart wohl aus dem Rio Xingu in Brasilien.
Von der Form her ähneln die Pitbull Welse dem bekannten Otocinclus, nur daß der Kopf von Hypostominae vollkommen rund ist, deshalb vielleicht der Hundename. Auch liegen die Augen von Hypostominae nicht flach an den Seiten, sondern oben hervorragend, fast so ähnlich wie bei Fröschen oder Krokodilen. Die Welsart wird nicht besonders groß, nur etwa 5cm. Farblich sind Brauntöne zu sehen, wobei die Tierchen eher hell, beinahe grau erscheinen in einem zu hellen Becken, oder wenn sie sich wegen anderen Gründen unwohl fühlen. Man sollte die zarten Kerlchen z.B. auf keinen Fall mit ruppigen oder frechen Fischen zusammenhalten, da Hypostominae keinerlei Durchsetzungsvermögen hat, sondern dann verschüchtert ist und nur reglos irgendwo liegt.

Thanks for any help, 
Bill


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## LitosCBR (Jun 23, 2005)

Hello,

the fish you have seen is likely Parotocinclus jumbo (http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/loricari/parotoci/236_F.PHP http://atlas.drpez.org/Parotocinclus-jumbo). The name came from the 'Pit Bulletin', first reporting this fish. Is a small fish 6 cm TL of a genus similar to Otocinclus.

Litos


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## stcyrwm (Apr 20, 2005)

They don't quite look like the "parotocinclus jumbo" but of course photos aren't always perfect representations either. They look identical to the photo in the bottom right of this page: http://uschi-web.de/Aquarien/body_aquarien.html

Thanks for the help, Bill


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## LitosCBR (Jun 23, 2005)

I honestly think it is the same species:

P. jumbo
or a cousin of the Parotocinclus genus.

Parotocinclus jumbo was initialy labelled as Hypostominae sp.

Take a look to this:



> Of these genera related to Otocinclus, only Parotocinclus and the rarely available Microlepodogaster are really suitable for the slow moving, often low oxygen environment of a planted aquaria. The most commonly available species available to hobbyist is the Red Tailed Oto, Parotocinclus maculicuada. As with many a common name this one is misleading, as the fish is one of several species with red fins and isn't really an Oto. While we are on the subject of fins, Parotocinclus are differentiated from Otocinclus by the lack of an adipose fin in the latter. The adipose fin is the small fleshy fin between the dorsal (top) and caudal (tail) fin. This is entirely absent in Otocinclus. The red fin oto isn't a great algae eater, but can be housed in number with true Otocinclus in planted aquaria.


So check the existence of the adipose fin (it exists in the photo you refer to)... could you post a pic of your individual?

Litos


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## stcyrwm (Apr 20, 2005)

> I honestly think it is the same species:


Litos,

I think you are correct that these are "parotocinclus jumbo". I picked some up yesterday, so I can now look at them more clearly. The color and pattern variations even among the ones I received are a lot, so photos are tricky to compare to. I did some more research last night though and found some photos under parotocinclus jumbo that match. The photos in the links you posted also confirm this. They are not oto's for sure as they have the adipose fin. Seems they are also sold under the common name of "pitbull pleco".

From what I read last night on a couple sites, they are a good community fish for a planted tank. They don't eat plants, don't get too large and they do eat algae. They are hanging with my otos already and they swim and behave very much like them except they're about twice the size.

Thanks again for all the help. It is pretty cool to be able to sort this stuff out.

Bill


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## LitosCBR (Jun 23, 2005)

:thumbsup:


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