L Number Plecos

[Tropical_Dave]

so i noticed a long time ago that i was seeing alot of plecos in different fish stores with the 'L numbers' as far as ive noticed all being 3 digits, can anyone explain why they have numbers instead of or aswell as a normal name?

 

[fluttermoth]

If a fish that is currently undescribed is discovered, it's given a designated number/letter 'code' that will identify it until the process of officially naming and describing it is done.
 
Of course, by the time that is done (and it can take a while; there is a world shortage of taxonomists), people have got used to calling the fish 'L052', or whatever, and that 'name' tends to stick, rather than being changed to whatever science had decided to call it!
 
Different genus of fish have different letters (so, fish from the family Loricariidae are 'L', corydoras are 'CW').

 

[Tropical_Dave]

thats a bit more simple than i thought it would be,makes sense now thanks for your help