Pleco problem?!

[NilusFishFamily]

Hi, I’m asking this in breeding because I figured this group would know. Do sailfin pleco spray milt or do they have a penis?
see picture.
My son insists he’s had this for at least 6 months (that he noticed it a long time ago when he was in our smaller tank). I really hope this isn’t a worm, we were going to bring our new fishout of quarantine and out them together today.
Will repost this in a more health related forum as well- if thiS violates any rules I apologize.

 

[phreeflow]

That’s most likely the plecos genital papilla, or commonly called breeding tube. All egg laying fish have them...livebearers have other modified organs called a gonopodium and you should check out how crazy a bitterling’s breeding tube is!

A male’s papilla is long and thin for spraying milt and a female’ tube is short and blunt for depositing eggs. They can protrude when they are sexually mature and ready to breed. They can go in or out of the body so don’t be surprised if you don’t see it one day and see it the next.

 

[NilusFishFamily]

That’s most likely the plecos genital papilla, or commonly called breeding tube. All egg laying fish have them...livebearers have other modified organs called a gonopodium and you should check out how crazy a bitterling’s breeding tube is!

A male’s papilla is long and thin for spraying milt and a female’ tube is short and blunt for depositing eggs. They can protrude when they are sexually mature and ready to breed. They can go in or out of the body so don’t be surprised if you don’t see it one day and see it the next.

Thank goodness!!! I’m going to go ahead and plop his new buddy into the 120gallon tank, it’s a shorter quarantine (only a week) but unfortunately the little goldfish almost died after getting a piece of gravel STUCK in his mouth so I want to get him in a tank with the bigger river rock he can’t get in his mouth. Here’s hoping our now apparently ready to breed pleco doesn’t eat him. (He had stopped swimming altogether and was ready to head into the light when we physically held him in hand and gently nudged it out. Luckily, he was ok after a few seconds back in the water and back to himself a little while later).

 

[NilusFishFamily]

It’s bigger with a darker bit at the end and my husband swore he saw poop ‘come out’ of it. I’m attaching another picture.
Thoughts?
I tried msging an aquarium vet on Facebook but no answer.

 

[NilusFishFamily]

so I’m back to square one. See new reply/pic

 

[phreeflow]

The genital papilla and the opening of the anus is literally right next to each other. I wouldn’t worry about it if the fish is healthy and eating and growing. If the feces is stringy and clear, and your fish is losing weight or not growing, then that should be a cause for concern