loricariidae.info

Ever since the original picture of L236 by Hartl was published, it's been among the most sought after of all l-numbers. Later we have learned that the pattern displayed by the original can occur in most of the Xingu based Hypancistrus forms. Back in the 90's, pattern was used as key above other traits like eye size, caudal shape and so on. This of course led to some very unfortunate crossbreedings. We have a line of so called L236 here in Norway, which a few generations ago was imported from Aquarium Glaser in Germany. Our first fish were German bred, but pictures of the breeding stock that supplied Glaser was never published, again very unfortunate. There's no doubt that the line we have here is a very nice one, but we are not able to determine if their ancestors were of the same form or of different forms with similar pattern.  

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Facts:

Name: Hypancistrus sp. “L236 Glaser”

Trade names: 

Origin: Rio Xingu, Brazil.

Maximum size: 12 cm / 5''

 

The “L236 Glaser” in our care never grow bigger than about 12 cm. This could be due to various reasons of course, but it could possibly suggest that L66 and L333 were not part of the original breeding stock that supplied Glaser. L399/400 seems more likely, as this form is already very variable in the Xingu river. Our line varies in base colour from white to cream-yellow, and always show broad, black wormlines – usually with little space in between. This pattern certainly fits with the original L236, but it can also be found in other Xingu forms like for instance L333. It's more than likely that the original L236 was either a young L66 or an L399/400.

 

They need an aquarium set up consisting of lots of hiding places in the form of rocks, wood and of course specially made caves that suit their measurements. In these the males will eventually guard their offspring. They prefer water that is fairly warm (27-30 C), soft and slightly acidic. Most of all it should be well oxygenated and clean, so a good filtration system and frequent water changes are essential. Among themselves they are fairly peaceful, although males may quarrel for caves and females can sometimes be badly injured or even killed during the breeding-trapping in the male's cave. Males develop longer odontodes on their pectoral fins and on their cheeks, and have broader heads. Hypancistrus are mostly carnivorous, so a selection of crustaceans, insect larvae and fish meat should be offered along with high quality dried foods that also contain some vegetable matter.

 

 

More info:

http://www.l-welse.com/reviewpost/showproduct.php/product/251/cat/30  

http://www.planetcatfish.com/common/species.php?species_id=969