Bristlenose Plecos with white spots on a black background are “everywhere” in tropical South America. It’s not easy to tell them all apart, but luckily some of them have unique traits. A.punctatus, which is probably the correct name for the fish we call L182, is one of the biggest species of Ancistrus. Exported from Brazil under various wrong labels, L182 is sometimes available in the hobby. Ingo Seidel actually taught me how to recognize it; by looking at the dorsal fin. L182 has a black dot between ray 1 and 2, which is pretty easy to see. As far as keeping and breeding is concerned, L182 is like most types of wild Ancistrus.
Facts:
Name: Ancistrus punctatus (Steindachner 1881)
Trade names: L120, L182
Origin: Rio Demini, Rio Branco, Brazil. Rio Essequibo, Rio Rupununi, Guyana.
Maximum TL: 30 cm / 12”
This species has a wide distribution in the Rio Branco / Rupununi area, and is a quite hardy and easy to maintain species. It can be bred in tapwater, but it will only thrive in clean, well filtered oxygen rich water. When young, it can be hard to tell apart from A.hoplogenys (L59) from Rio Guama. L182 has a red edge to the fins when young, which is lost as the fish grows.
More info:
https://www.planetcatfish.com/common/species.php?species_id=147
https://www.scotcat.com/loricariidae/ancistrus_punctatus.htm
http://www.l-welse.com/reviewpost/showproduct.php/product/196/cat/44