L-number
The L- numbers are a code system of the aquarium. It was introduced to rename imported, not exactly identifiable Loricariidae ( Armored catfishes ).
The "L " stands for " Loricariidae ", the number is assigned sequentially. Between " L" and number must be a space.
Prerequisite for obtaining an L- number is the notion of the kind in the DATZ ( " The aquarium and terrarium magazine" ). L- numbers are assigned only to ancistrine and hypostomine Loricariidae. Initially also got loricariine launches a number ( L 10, L 53, L 62). In some cases, numbers were recovered and re-assigned, which provides a source of confusion (s).
Was invented in the system by Rainer Stawikowski ( editor in chief of DATZ ), Arthur Werner (owner of the company trans- fish) and Uli Schliewen in the summer of 1988, after a large number of undescribed loricariids were re-imported. Meanwhile, so many L- catfish were scientifically described (eg, L 1 is called now Glyptoperichthys joselimaianus ). The scientific description of a type the code number is theoretically untenable. In practice, they will at least be used for frequently traded species further. An example of this is the Hypancistrus described since 1991 zebra, which is still known as L 46. On 1 January 2008 there are 411 L- numbers, however, do not stand for the appropriate number of species, but also for local variants, unique mutations occurring ( L 98 ) and the like.
A similar system was " The Aquarium " introduced by the magazine and used again after setting the journal of the Aqualognews: the LDA - numbers (as of 1 May 2007: 104 LDA - numbers). By editing times and competition from publishers, authors, etc., it often happens that species or variants get a L and LDA numbers. Also code systems have been developed ( for example, " CH " for haplochromine cichlids of Lake Victoria ) For other fish groups, the lack of new imports but could not prevail. At C - numbers for species of armored catfish ( Callichthyidae ), but the system works well (as of April 1, 2007: 154 C- numbers).
For identification, there are several works: Firstly, the respective output DATZ (or " The Aquarium " ), on the other hand the Aqualog and DATZ special issue "L Numbers - The Original". In the current edition of the Aqualog ("All L- Numbers" ) there are hardly any misidentifications in contrast to the first edition. In contrast to the first edition only two rare introduced species are shown as a drawing, because the authors did not have any live specimens available in the current. Care instructions should be exercised with caution. As a single book, it also contains all the LDA - numbers. The DATZ special edition contains the original photos of the show. If it is, therefore, better suited to identify any case can not be always affirmative, because it contains the Aqualog instead of an image are almost always different perspectives of an animal and in many cases photographs of different animals, which is also taken into account the variation of a species. Unfortunately, the LDA - numbers are not shown with the DATZ special issue.