A black background decorated with white spots helps to identify this particular loricariid. It now seems that the Peppermint Pleco ascribed the number L030 is merely the juvenile form of the variety recognized as L031, which has a finer spotted pattern
Fish can be divided into two broad categories on the basis of their breeding behavior. Egg-layers, which form the majority, practice external fertilization, while in livebearers the eggs are fertilized in the female’s body and emerge as fully formed young. Some species show little regard for their offspring and cannibalize their own eggs or fry. Others display surprisingly high levels of parental care.
Catfish represent one of the largest groups of aquarium fish and also one of the most diverse in terms of appearance and lifestyle. There are more than 2,000 species in approximately 30 families. Some of these fish are sedentary and suitable for a community tank, while others are active predators that grow to a large size.
The loricariids, from South America, are a most disparate family of catfishes, in both shape and size. All exhibit an underslung sucker mouth and most are herbivorous. The mouth is used to attach themselves to solid objects to avoid being carried away in the current, as they are particularly poor swimmers. The body is encased in body plates that develop from skin folds in the early fry stage, which in later life make swimming a difficult and laborious chore.
[Ebook] The New Guide to Aquarium Fish A comprehensive and authoritative guide to tropical freshwater, brackish, and marine fishes Mary Bailey – Gina Sandford
