hey guys caught this wierd fish on the Guadalupe River today Here are some pictures. I made them big so you could see the detail so you might have to scroll sideways to see the whole thing. This fish had armored scales even harder than a gar's scales. it also had little teeth.

Common Pleco (Possibly Hypostomus plecostomus)

at least the wikipedia pictures look the same....

plecostomus

thank you for answering my question. So are they common or what because i have never heard of one until now

That is one of 12 freshwater fish that survived the Ice Age.  They were thought to be extinct until one surfaced in 1873 weighing 94.8 pounds.  The fish was found in the Mississippi River.  The one you caught looks to be an infant, as they average 17-23 pounds but are rarely found.  I'd go back and try to catch it and notify the marine biologist in your area since it might be worth some big money.

That is one of 12 freshwater fish that survived the Ice Age. They were thought to be extinct until one surfaced in 1873 weighing 94.8 pounds. The fish was found in the Mississippi River. The one you caught looks to be an infant, as they average 17-23 pounds but are rarely found. I'd go back and try to catch it and notify the marine biologist in your area since it might be worth some big money.

;D ;D

but really some ********* just released it from their aquarium.

I can't stand the darn things in my lake.  They're everywhere.  Really irritates me at times, I'll see a shape or two sitting on the bottom and hurl lures at it only to realize that I'm trying to catch a literal bottom feeder.

That is one of 12 freshwater fish that survived the Ice Age. They were thought to be extinct until one surfaced in 1873 weighing 94.8 pounds. The fish was found in the Mississippi River. The one you caught looks to be an infant, as they average 17-23 pounds but are rarely found. I'd go back and try to catch it and notify the marine biologist in your area since it might be worth some big money.

FREAKING AWESOME ;D

Plecostomus are South American suckermouth armoured catfish imported for the aquarium trade.They feed primarily on algae but will eat just about anything.

wow lol we just had a massive flash flood that devestated a lot of homes  probably got washed out of someones fish tanks into the river lol. Yea I caught it on a rope lure actually fishing for gar. It had gotten wrapped around its tail somehow so probably wont catch another.

That is a crazy way to catch that thing.

When I first saw the picture of that thing in your other thread I thought, "Wow that thing looks like a mutated algae eater."

It's a crazy looking fish for sure.

Man Plecos are crazy looking. So you didn't hook it?   Just would like to what was your first reaction when seeing this fish?

Well too bad you hook that species of pleco, it 's worth nothing, if it were other species of pleco you could have got pretty good money for it, some species are worth hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars a piece.

That is one of 12 freshwater fish that survived the Ice Age. They were thought to be extinct until one surfaced in 1873 weighing 94.8 pounds. The fish was found in the Mississippi River. The one you caught looks to be an infant, as they average 17-23 pounds but are rarely found. I'd go back and try to catch it and notify the marine biologist in your area since it might be worth some big money.

Do I sense a hint of sarcasm here? You can find those by the thousands around here as I'm sure you already know. ;D

Plecos make great aquarium pets and keep algae off the glass. Quite expensive in most shops and they do grow fast. My 55 gal. aquarium couldn't supply enough algae and I had to use blocks to supplement it's diet.

bought it when it was about 3" long and it was almost 9" by the time I sold it! Got paid $55. for it!

very cool looking fish...  My dad had them in the tank when I was young, but it's been so long when I was looking, I wasn't sure at all what kind of fish it was.  I can just imagine someone pulling a fish like that out, and not knowing what it is, must be weird!

That's one big algae eater

They do a good job of cleaning a tank but I'll never get one again. They do an equally good job of messing up the bottom with junk, they eat and poop and grow. It seems like they do the last two more than the first!

Not a common pleco, but as previously mentioned armored catfish aka sailfin cats

Loricariidae is the largest family of catfish (Order Siluriformes), with almost 700 species and new species being described each year. Loricariids originate from fresh water habitats of Costa Rica, Panama, and tropical and subtropical South America. These fish are noted for the bony plates covering their bodies and their suckermouths. Several genera are sold as "plecos", notably the suckermouth catfish, Hypostomus plecostomus, and are popular as aquarium fish.

I know theyll eat up some algae in garden ponds and aquariums.