Help Please! Male or Female?
Help Please! Male or Female?
Hi! I would like some help if possible with my Zebra Plec. I have kept and bred many fish including some more challenging species and have recently discovered this website. I wandered if you could help me to find the sex of this fish and then advise me of the best way to get my hands on one of the opposite sex. Unfortunately I am only 17 and at college so money is a slight problem so if you could advise me as to how much the other Plec should be that would be a huge help.
This Plec is 2 inches long.
I would be hugely grateful for any help on the matter!
Thank You
[img]http://server6.theimagehosting.com/imag ... 71.1d1.JPG[/img]
[img]http://server6.theimagehosting.com/imag ... 72.77c.JPG[/img]
[img]http://server6.theimagehosting.com/imag ... 74.c91.JPG[/img]
This Plec is 2 inches long.
I would be hugely grateful for any help on the matter!
Thank You
[img]http://server6.theimagehosting.com/imag ... 71.1d1.JPG[/img]
[img]http://server6.theimagehosting.com/imag ... 72.77c.JPG[/img]
[img]http://server6.theimagehosting.com/imag ... 74.c91.JPG[/img]
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- Obsessed!!
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- Location: Derbyshire, UK
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- Obsessed!!
- Posts: 229
- Joined: Thu Feb 16, 2006 10:39 am
- Location: Derbyshire, UK
- Alistair
- Obsessed!!
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- Location: Back in the North East of England
Looking at the shape of the head i would say it was a male, females heads are usually more rounded and not so broad. The real clincher would be to look at the first ray of the pec fin. Males have a thicker ray which looks 'hairy' due to the spines. They also usually have longer spines between the eye and the pec fin (interpelocar spines I think they are called).
Because of the price adult females can command, I would suggest you stay on the look out for juveniles and buy several to increase the possibility of getting a female.
Because of the price adult females can command, I would suggest you stay on the look out for juveniles and buy several to increase the possibility of getting a female.
You're not rude for asking why I think she's a female
I look at the pectoral fins, thin first ray. I look at the pelvic fins and see that they are small compared to the pectoral fins. I look at the gill area and see the fish seems to be "pinched", from lack of interopucal growth. I look at the shape of the pectoral fins, slightly crescent. Then I look at the body shape. The fish is short and stout.
The fish doesn't have a particaluralily broad head, and....she just "feels" like a female. There's always an element of guessing involved when one tries to determine the sex of a Zebra before they have spawned, or before you've been able to oserve their behaviour.
I might very well be wrong
I look at the pectoral fins, thin first ray. I look at the pelvic fins and see that they are small compared to the pectoral fins. I look at the gill area and see the fish seems to be "pinched", from lack of interopucal growth. I look at the shape of the pectoral fins, slightly crescent. Then I look at the body shape. The fish is short and stout.
The fish doesn't have a particaluralily broad head, and....she just "feels" like a female. There's always an element of guessing involved when one tries to determine the sex of a Zebra before they have spawned, or before you've been able to oserve their behaviour.
I might very well be wrong
I've got females with a "snout". I don't think there's only one thing that is a dead giveaway when sexing these fish. Seems to me you need to look at several things and make an educated guess, especially when you do not have the opportunity to watch their behaviour.
here's one of my ladies:
and another one:
Notice this one has rather well developed interopucarls, a so called hairy female. (she's the one laying the largest batches, 20+ eggs every time, but takes for ever before giving them up )
Unless we're talking about a male ready to spawn No mistaken one of those!
here's one of my ladies:
and another one:
Notice this one has rather well developed interopucarls, a so called hairy female. (she's the one laying the largest batches, 20+ eggs every time, but takes for ever before giving them up )
Unless we're talking about a male ready to spawn No mistaken one of those!