L046 Hypancistrus zebra - Unusual Patterned Fry

[celticfish]

Here's a picture of an unusual patterned fry.
Some days before this picture it was like a "ghost" zebra (phrase coined from a zebra article) and had lost its black stripes.
But before I had a chance to take pictures its pattern coloured up and it now looks like this...
I wonder if its a disease or something that made it loose its colour initially...
The rest of the fry in the tank are okay though.

Definitely will take more precautions with this guys than my previous T-bar!
Hopefully this fella can survive to adulthood.
It would be interesting to see how the pattern morphs over time.
Estimated length is about 1.25".


http://www.aquaticquotient.com/gallery/files/3/4/7/3/l046_-_ghost_fry_-01.jpg (http://www.aquaticquotient.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=10314&c=45)

[Edmundo]

OMG........................... L98? :eek:

[celticfish]

Here are two more pictures I got when I remove it to a tank with smaller tank mates.
Trying to give it the best chance to survive! :grin:

One shot from the left side and the other the right side.
The left side seemd to be just missing portions of the black stripe.
But the right side is a little more interesting with "new" vertical stripes connecting the usual horizontal stripes.

http://www.aquaticquotient.com/gallery/files/3/4/7/3/l046_-_ghost_fry_-03.jpg (http://www.aquaticquotient.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=10333&c=newimages)


http://www.aquaticquotient.com/gallery/files/3/4/7/3/l046_-_ghost_fry_-02.jpg (http://www.aquaticquotient.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=10332&c=newimages)

[Mr.XPlecos]

:confused: could this be due to multiple generations of inbreeding?

[Gecko]

the parents are F0, wild caught.

[matubula]

Are these runts, or all of this batch like this?

[Mr.XPlecos]

the parents are F0, wild caught.

if thats the case den its really a unique occurance that the fries have such unusual markings on the body.

[celticfish]

As Gecko mentioned the parents are F0.

I can't say if its the runt of the litter as I combined fry from 4 broods into this tank.
Its the only one like this.

And it didnt show sign of its unusual pattern then.
As in, the fry all looked normal and this one suddenly turned.
Hence my thinking its could very well be a disease!

I now have it in a tank with smaller tank mates in the hope it gets the best chance to survive.
I'll update its pattern as times passes.

[Edmundo]

Any update of this gem?

[celticfish]

Sorry BOSS!! :D
Here you go.


Left side.
The black pattern has more or less stabalized, I think.
http://www.aquaticquotient.com/gallery/files/3/4/7/3/l046_-_ghost_fry_-_04.jpg (http://www.aquaticquotient.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=10430&c=member&imageuser=3473)



Right side.
http://www.aquaticquotient.com/gallery/files/3/4/7/3/l046_-_ghost_fry_-_05.jpg (http://www.aquaticquotient.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=10431&c=member&imageuser=3473)


Top view.
The signature M on the snout is also broken.
It will turn out to be an unusual patterned L046 but I don't think it will ever look close to L098.
Oh well! Time to hope for more fry! :D
http://www.aquaticquotient.com/gallery/files/3/4/7/3/l046_-_ghost_fry_-_06.jpg (http://www.aquaticquotient.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=10432&c=member&imageuser=3473)


Front view.
I think its trying to scratching something...
http://www.aquaticquotient.com/gallery/files/3/4/7/3/l046_-_ghost_fry_-_07.jpg (http://www.aquaticquotient.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=10433&c=member&imageuser=3473)

[Edmundo]

Lovely baby.............. thanks for the effort to snap shot quality pics!

cheers! :)

[mrnyunus]

Nice pcs/pic bro...:)....interesting how the markings wld end up..

[Killer]

Hi bro, any latest update for yr special ones?:D

[900801]

Looks like a panda.. any updates would love to see how it looks like now. Or has it been sold already?

[Kingfisher]

Very very unique piece bro!:eek:

[celticfish]

Wow you guys are dragging up history for me... :D

That piece has since passed on...
As I first suspected its a "defective" fish.
It was a normal striped individual in the beginning.
Then all its striping "went off" as in you can see the greyish area where the black should be.
After that its strips came back in solid black.
It was normal horizontal on the left size while the right's unusual marking remained.
All this happened over a period of about 2-3 months.

It didn't grow as well as it's siblings and got no larger than 40-50 mm.
The little bugger stayed that size for almost two years and then passed on.

[Unungy]

Its a very unique zebra, some people will call it L98 and I will agree with this description.
L46 zebra variants or specials is how I like to call them. I've seen a few of them and I also collect them.

Your fry is one of a kind. I am sure you will get more of this kind in the future
you are a very lucky breeder.

It may end up looking something like this..

[arofrank79]

omg..
r these L46 or L173..??
hmm..
loss liao..

[Unungy]

I consider them L46 and not L173,
L173 its a different specie and they have brown eyes as suppose to while colors of the zebra pleco.


Saul

[deimos8]

very nice n unique zebrassss.....................................:)

[benjamin]

Good fishes! :D how is it now?