L46, male or female??

five · Post by **five** » Mon Apr 11, 2005 4:42 pm

1st of all, thanks Rob for introducing me to this wonderful forum. Cheers!

Now I like to request your attention.

I manage to find a 'female' But I need all the expert advice I can find to comments as I am not sure if it's a female.

Here are some of the close up I took. Appreciate much...thanks.

http://www.plecofanatics.com/gallery/sh ... puser=1908

McEve · Post by **McEve** » Mon Apr 11, 2005 5:09 pm

Looks like a male to me... Generally speaking the cheek odontodes don't reach far past where the pectoral fins start. The head profile also suggests male to me.

Bur I've been wrong before!

Tom Kvitnes · Post by **Tom Kvitnes** » Mon Apr 11, 2005 5:35 pm

looks like a male, but it would be easier to tell if you could get a close up shot from above when the fish is in the water.

Post by **Barbie** » Mon Apr 11, 2005 5:38 pm

As long as that's a good sized fish, it's a female, IMO. No heavier "cheek" area and good curve to the fins. It's also heavy in the right spot for a female. If you draw a line across where the pectorals meet the body the head is shorter in relation to the body (at some point I need to figure out the mathematics behind that, as there's a formula kicking around for sexing discus this way and I've wondered about using it on zebras!). IMO, if that fish isn't choosing a cave and holding it against males trying to take it, it's a female.

Barbie

Des · Post by **Des** » Mon Apr 11, 2005 9:16 pm

Hi Five,

Welcome to the forum.
Have replied to your pm.
My view as stated fully on the pm, is Male.
I have yet to see a female with such long cheek whiskers. The side pictures appear to show a "pregnant" female but I belive it is a male with a bit of a pot belly.Your last picture shows large spikes on the Left pectoral fin which are not apparent in the blown up picture of the right pectoral fin for some reason????!!!!!!. It also appears to have "lost" the tip.
The last overhead picture also is very tapered like a male if it is an adult fish.

Des.

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Tue Apr 12, 2005 9:19 am

Hmmmmmmmm...........this one is still a bit ofa teaser.

Longer gill plate Odontodes = male
Curvature of Pectorial fins = female
Head shape = female
Upper torso shape = female

A good point that Des pointed out to me in a PM is "Has this fish been in a fight at all to lose the tips of it's pectorial fins?"

My immediate reaction was Female to the curavture on the pectorial fins, but Des has some very valid points.

Five, can you get a close up photo of the vent. it it is a mature fish the female will be more U shaped and the male will be more V shaped.

Good luck

Rob

five · Post by **five** » Tue Apr 12, 2005 1:52 pm

Hey guys, thanks for your invaluable comments. I think I will give this piece a miss since I'm not sure about it. Me too think that the odontode pretty long, kinda funny for a female to have that...

Cheers!