SAE vs flying fox?

[lauraf]

Umm, I'm a total idiot, and quite embarrassed. I think I've mistakenly called one of my fish an oto for a long time. I'm too horrified at my ignorance to go into details about why this happened, and have a wicked head cold so can't think properly. Could someone give me a quick rundown on the differences between otocinclus, Siamese algae eaters, and flying foxes?

 

[Newman]

lol first of all the most striking difference is that otos are way smaller than the other two, and otos have a sucker mouth. The habit of an oto is way different than the others. otocinclus will stick to glass using its sucker mouth. the other two cant since they dont have sucker mouths.

Now differences between SAE and FF are much more subtle.
Physical/behavioral differences follow:
SAE has 2 barbels/FF has 2 pairs of barbels
SAE has a black serrated line going all the way through tail/ FF does not.
FF's black line is straight and not serrated.
SAE will rest on their fins/FF will rest on the belly
SAE will school when young/ FF tend to be solitary
SAE will get aggressive with its own species/ FF will get aggressive with everything.
SAE will eat all sorts of algae and any commercial food/ FF will eat mostly commercial food.

 

[OrangeCones]

Could someone give me a quick rundown on the differences between otocinclus, Siamese algae eaters, and flying foxes?

This website has photos of most of those 'algae eater' type fish.

Will the Real SAE Please Swim Forward? Epalzeorhynchus and Crossocheilus et al.; or Minnows as Biological Algae Controls; In Search of the Elusive SAE's (Siamese Algae Eaters)

 

[lauraf]

lol first of all the most striking difference is that otos are way smaller than the other two, and otos have a sucker mouth. .

Yeah, I've figured that one out, but thanks for giving me the 100%! Here's the explanation FWIW: when I first started my tank last year after a fifteen year hiatus, lots of advice about stocking had changed - I just followed my LFS's advice about a 'clean-up' crew that included both otos and SAEs. Over the following months, all except one did pass because I was a bad aquarist. I feel horrid even admitting this.
But the one that remains I somehow titled an oto, even though he clearly is not, and I believe is a true SAE.

 

[BristlenosePleco]

I've noticed FF's get kinda fatter looking than SAE's. Like there bellies look like there hanging down.

 

[Newman]

nah lol, as SAEs age they get that fat look to them too. basically they become lazy and eat commercial food a lot more as they get bigger

 

[MEng]

great
now this thread has me questioning my flying fox's identity
i tried taking pics but after 20 tries these are the best i could get...

 

[Doomhed]

nope, you got a flying fox. grats

 

[MEng]

thanks a lot

 

[Newman]

very hard to tell from the pics lol, but i think doom is right.

 

[Doomhed]

very hard to tell from the pics lol, but i think doom is right.

the color pattern is completely wrong for an oto, but the olive and chocolate pattern is perfect for a real flying fox.

 

[Newman]

well its obviously not an oto lol. but I was having difficulty discerning it from the SAE..

 

[MEng]

well here's a somewhat better pic

 

[Doomhed]

an SAE that size would have already killed some fish. so due to lack of murderousness and coloring, I declare it a flying fox!

 

[Newman]

haha, well a FF is deemed aggressive by many people as well, so it can still be either one. though that thing's color is so washed out it is impossible to tell. this was taken at night right? try taking a pic during the day when the colors are normal.

 

[MEng]

ya it was at night
here's one i took just now
he has never shown any agression to the other fish

 

[Newman]

can we get a closeup of his head/mouth region ? lol
and a clear closeup of the tail would help too

 

[lauraf]

An SAE is aggressive? Mine is absolutely harmless. The CAE's I mistakenly acquired were horrid tho'.

 

[MEng]

heres a couple close ups of him, couldnt get his tail and he seemed like he was getting annoyed by the flashes

 

[Newman]

darn... a clear shot of the tail would have really helped. just tell us, is the black stripe that runs through it's body going all the way through the tail fin too? if it is then you have an SAE. if it does not go through the tail FIN part then you have a FF.