Why Bristlenose Pleco

[itiwhetu]

Why do people refer to Bristlenose Catfish as Plecos?. Considering they come from the Loricariidae Family, of which Plecostomus is one of the genera but doesn't include the Bristlenose which is an Ancistrus.

I was wondering about the history of its name.

We don't call Whiptail Catfish Whiptail Plecos or do we??

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Why do people refer to Bristlenose Catfish as Plecos?. Considering they come from the Loricariidae Family, of which Plecostomus is one of the genera but doesn't include the Bristlenose which is an Ancistrus.

I was wondering about the history of its name.

We don't call Whiptail Catfish Whiptail Plecos or do we??

As you know, both Joe and Josephine Public are generally not well educated and tend to simply things, to facilitate their understanding of our complex world. This is usually not their fault and a consequence of failed educational systems.
The Bristlenose became a 'pleco' just as every vacuum cleaner ever invented became a 'hoover'.
This was also furthered by fish/pet shop staff being recruited from the general pool of Joe and Josephine Public.
(These are all the same people that go shopping for 'Algae Eaters', 'Dither Fish' and 'Clean-up Crews', rather than specific fish with their own specific needs).

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Why do people refer to Bristlenose Catfish as Plecos?

Long ago, back when I was growing up, 'cat' fish had whiskers...all of them. That's what made them 'catfish'. The Bristlenose would've been known as a sucker-mouth, or even a sucker-mouth catfish! (I know...best not to ask ).

We don't call Whiptail Catfish Whiptail Plecos or do we??

To be perfectly honest, you and I might not, but I have heard people from both sides of the counter in shops refer to them as such.

 

[itiwhetu]

Long ago, back when I was growing up, 'cat' fish had whiskers...all of them. That's what made them 'catfish'. The Bristlenose would've been known as a sucker-mouth, or even a sucker-mouth catfish! (I know...best not to ask ).

To be perfectly honest, you and I might not, but I have heard people from both sides of the counter in shops refer to them as such.

Bristlenoses are either Bristlenoses or Bristlenose Catfish aren't they

 

[itiwhetu]

It might just be me but when I see a thread with Pleco in the title my brain never engages to think Bristlenose.

 

[Deleted member 149562]

I spose cos its easier for people to call them Pleco instead of sorting them into their proper names

Lazy...probably

However, I suspect that its simply cos many people cannot spell it, others cannot make it fit when writing the name of the fish onto that label stuck to their shop aquarium...so since both tend to stick like limpets onto the glass, Pleco will do.

 

[itiwhetu]

I spose cos its easier for people to call them Pleco instead of sorting them into their proper names

Lazy...probably

However, I suspect that its simply cos many people cannot spell it, others cannot make it fit when writing the name of the fish onto that label stuck to their shop aquarium...so since both tend to stick like limpets onto the glass, Pleco will do.

Just Bristlenose would do.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Names change...we now have Black Ruby Barbs, whereas we had something else not that long ago.
Names also change within the scientific community. I remember Hypostomus replacing Plecostomus plecostomus.

 

[itiwhetu]

Names change...we now have Black Ruby Barbs, whereas we had something else not that long ago.
Names also change within the scientific community. I remember Hypostomus replacing Plecostomus plecostomus.

True. It is like Green Corys used to be short bodied Corys ( Brochis) until that all changed.

 

[Deleted member 149562]

Just Bristlenose would do.

Try writing that on a sticky label for the shop aquarium.....it won't fit, even with the smallest of handwriting

There are many other names (and descriptions) for them.....my neighbour's 5 year old came running into my lounge most distressed to his mum...."mummy mummy...there is a fish glued to the glass and its wiggling and can't get off". Child's mother went to see what all the fuss was about and it was my BN, Bristles, "oh...don't worry...its only that mad sink plunger fish being silly"

I call them a BN and the Pleco is...erm...a Pleco.

 

[itiwhetu]

Try writing that on a sticky label for the shop aquarium.....it won't fit, even with the smallest of handwriting

There are many other names (and descriptions) for them.....my neighbour's 5 year old came running into my lounge most distressed to his mum...."mummy mummy...there is a fish glued to the glass and its wiggling and can't get off". Child's mother went to see what all the fuss was about and it was my BN, Bristles, "oh...don't worry...its only that mad sink plunger fish being silly"

I call them a BN and the Pleco is...erm...a Pleco.

So how does your shop write Peppered Catfish

 

[DoubleDutch]

To me Plecostomus isn't a genus.

But asking myself why there seems to be a need to put a lot of people in the "uneducated Joe en Josephine - corner"

Personally I think this forum evennis about educating, sharing experiences, helping others etc... and not to tell people they're stupid and uneducated.
Hardly anyone will have had this educated at school / university. Most members who do will have learned by selfeducation. Even LFS's even often sell them under these false names.

So please stop with comments like these and don't ask rethorical questions but explain members why they'd better use different names than they do and how these misnaming / labeling is / was caused.

I think the members on this and any forum will have quite a bigger respect for that than calling them stupid and uneducated.

Thanks

 

[itiwhetu]

To me Plecostomus isn't a genus.

But asking myself why there seems to be a need to put a lot of people in the "uneducated Joe en Josephine - corner"

Personally I think this forum evennis about educating, sharing experiences, helping others etc... and not to tell people they're stupid and uneducated.
Hardly anyone will have had this educated at school / university. Most members who do will have learned by selfeducation. Even LFS's even often sell them under these false names.

So please stop with comments like these and don't ask rethorical questions but explain members why they'd better use different names than they do and how these misnaming / labeling is / was caused.

I think the members on this and any forum will have quite a bigger respect for that than calling them stupid and uneducated.

Thanks

My thread is a genuine question, and I thought someone here would know the history behind the Bristlenose being called a pleco, where it clearly isn't

 

[Deleted member 149562]

So how does your shop write Peppered Catfish

I was being hypothetical

And speaking from what I have seen in the past when visiting pet shops that have fish and seeing the poor blighter having to label the aquariums (for ID and pricing) and struggling to get the generic names (and pen names etc) of fish not just onto the label but spelt correctly too

 

[Deleted member 149562]

My thread is a genuine question, and I thought someone here would know the history behind the Bristlenose being called a pleco, where it clearly isn't

Tbh......apart from size (although a juvenile Pleco is small) when you look at a BN or a Pleco from underneath (as in glued to the glass) they look the same, so calling them all "Pleco" is totally understandable

It isn't til you get closer to them and can differentiate them and when the Pleco's have their growth spurts that maybe you can tell them apart.

There is obviously an identification issue otherwise people would not be sold a Common Pleco and be told its a BN...and vice versa.