Lake Malawi Species • Blue dophin Blue Moorii Cichlids Sex?

[phillum]

Hi,

I recently bought 4 blue dolphins about 3-4inches, and was wondering their possible sexes at this size? I bought the first 3 together then added the 4th blue dolphin few days later and upon doing so dolphin 1 and the bottom one of the second photo dolphin 3 started to circle each other and fought for a bit and dolphin 1 won and chases 3 and the other 2 dolphins regularly now. Dolphin 1 is the most dominant cichlid in the tank to all cichlids its size or smaller as well. Any help would be much appreciated thanks.

[BlueSunshine]

1,2 and 4 are males. 3 is a female.

[kindapet]

1,2 and 4 are males. 3 is a female.

How do you know ?

[ken31cay]

Pretty sure males have the stripes and females have the mottled pattern. I have three 3" dolphins in my 450gal, one male and two females by the looks of it.

[phillum]

Oh really? So I have 2 males and 2 females? When I added in dolphin 4 into the tank dolphin 1 and 3 started to circle and both fought very briefly until dolphin 1 won. I don’t think females would behave like this and fight a male? Also dolphin 2 has much shorter fins than the other 3 so would that make it more likely a female traits? Or males can have this as well?

Dolphin 2 and 3 seems to have more of the blotched looking pattern though.

[ken31cay]

Maybe dolphin 2's stripes are still forming? I can't be sure by just one picture, but the coloring seems more like stripes than the normal mottled pattern. I don't have alot of experience with these fish so hopefully someone with more experience will chime in.

[BlueSunshine]

Number 3 has the shortest fins in your pics. You do realize you have your fish numbered 1 thru 4, bottom to top...right?

Regardless, I still see three males and one female. Stripes and blotches have nothing to do with my call on this. If you have a healthy breeding group of dolphins, males and females will show stripes and blotches at different times. Sometimes there will be no blotches or stripes at all just very beautiful blue colors.

[phillum]

Oh shoot I did not realize the pics all are reversed my bad...you were referring 3 from bottom up correct? Then yes that one has the shortest fins.

I hope the lone female isn’t stressed out when wanting to mate and the 3 males hope they don’t all try to kill each other I got the wrong ratio when picking them out was hoping to get 1 male and 3 females but sounds like not the case oops lol.

[ken31cay]

I did a quick search:

The below site says there's no definitive way to tell the sex:
http://animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/cichlid/bluemoorii.php#Sex:%20Sexual%20differences

This one says the male's anal fin is 'curved':
https://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=243395

Here's another:
https://meethepet.com/blue-dolphin-moorii-cyrtocara-moorii/#Sex_differences

[BlueSunshine]

I did a quick search:

The below site says there's no definitive way to tell the sex:
http://animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/cichlid/bluemoorii.php#Sex:%20Sexual%20differences

This one says the male's anal fin is 'curved':
https://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=243395

Here's another:
https://meethepet.com/blue-dolphin-moorii-cyrtocara-moorii/#Sex_differences

To be correct... it says the female anal fin is curved.

[BlueSunshine]

Oh shoot I did not realize the pics all are reversed my bad...you were referring 3 from bottom up correct? Then yes that one has the shortest fins.

I hope the lone female isn’t stressed out when wanting to mate and the 3 males hope they don’t all try to kill each other I got the wrong ratio when picking them out was hoping to get 1 male and 3 females but sounds like not the case oops lol.

No problem. I've done the same thing only to catch it later.

[BlueSunshine]

I did a quick search:

The below site says there's no definitive way to tell the sex:
http://animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/cichlid/bluemoorii.php#Sex:%20Sexual%20differences

This one says the male's anal fin is 'curved':
https://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=243395

Here's another:
https://meethepet.com/blue-dolphin-moorii-cyrtocara-moorii/#Sex_differences

Someone forgot to tell our group what they are suppose to look like.

two females, the one in the back is the Head Lady.

one male and two females

young female

Old pic, but still a female.

[BlueSunshine]

I did a quick search:

The below site says there's no definitive way to tell the sex:
http://animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/cichlid/bluemoorii.php#Sex:%20Sexual%20differences

This one says the male's anal fin is 'curved':
https://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=243395

Here's another:
https://meethepet.com/blue-dolphin-moorii-cyrtocara-moorii/#Sex_differences

I enjoyed reading this article the most.

[phillum]

There is still one left at the pet store I was debating on possibly getting it’s the last one I didn’t choose it at first because the mouth is crooked not normal is it just injured or will it grow back normally or is it genetic? If this one is a female I’ll buy it. The fins are shorter here? Just read that there’s supposed to be more males than females? Seems the store had way more males than females in.. I attached some pics of the dolphin 5 at the store. Owner was wllling to give me a discount on it.

[ken31cay]

I did a quick search:

The below site says there's no definitive way to tell the sex:
http://animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/cichlid/bluemoorii.php#Sex:%20Sexual%20differences

This one says the male's anal fin is 'curved':
https://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=243395

Here's another:
https://meethepet.com/blue-dolphin-moorii-cyrtocara-moorii/#Sex_differences

To be correct... it says the female anal fin is curved.

Ah yes, you are right.