[wlyons9856]

Maybe you guys could help me out a bit. Purchased this JD November 1st and I love it to death, great personality, will eat from my fingers, always comes to say hi. It is growing at a very nice rate as well. Male or Female?

 

[supadave1981]

we just got one tonight don't know if its female or male either i will have to post up a few pics when it comes out of hiding
also picked up some firemouth also

 

[justin3p0]

looks like u got a male there

mayber a better picture would help but im going with male

 

[Anthraxx8500]

no idea. looks large enough to vent however. try catching him and taking a look for urself. not sure 100% on how to vent CA/SA but im sure its possible.

 

[wlyons9856]

Love it's color

 

[jeaninel]

Looks male to me but could you post a couple more pics?

 

[Mad About Cichlids]

Male. Females will have solid, squiggly lines on face.

 

[cichlid_kid96]

i say male also. could u post a better pic

 

[wlyons9856]

I'll try to get a different pic but the bugger is always on the move when I'm close to the tank.

 

[wlyons9856]

Here are two newer pics I just took about 5 minutes ago, hope they help. I also added a picture of him sleeping in his bed. :lol:

 

[jeaninel]

Yup, male. Nice fish.

 

[auratum]

I wouldn't be so sure this is a male. The males I have don't have any spotting on the lower gill plate where this has some. It certainly is not as many spots as most females, but I would be more inclined to say female than male. This one could go either way and I am surprised at how convinced others are that it is a male.

 

[wlyons9856]

I guess maybe a couple more months we can tell for sure. I cannot wait until "it" is about 7 inches.

 

[Riceburner]

I'd say male.

mine when less than 3"

now at about 6"+

the dominant male...

the females have much larger spangles

 

[cichlid_kid96]

auratum i also thought the same thing but i dont think there is as much as u would generally see with females. my female has more spangles and they are larger. more like the picture of the female that riceburner posted

 

[Riceburner]

another of the 1st male above

and another female

Also the females have less body colour most of the time.

 

[auratum]

My point is that there are females that look like this too as I have one. Complete absence of spotting is sure fire male. Large blotches of blue is sure fire female. In between is less certain especially at a smaller size.

 

[jeaninel]

I still say male. I guess we'll see in a month or two.

 

[Mad About Cichlids]

I would ask auratumn to post pictures of his so called "female" but he'll probably just post pictures of a male and claim it to be female :lol: opcorn:

 

[auratum]

When I originally purchased this female it was in a tank with a bunch of it's siblings and I remember at the time it had spotting on the gill cover but not blotching. I really liked the condition of the fish and body shape compared to it's sibs and took a chance that it would be a female as that is what I was looking for. I bought it when it was ~2" and it looked very much like the one in the picture from the OP. As it grew it has developed more and more spotting and some of the spotting has turned into blotching but not near as much as most females I have seen or owned.

Here is the female when smaller - she was around 4" and had just spawned - you can see the eggs on the far left flower pot if you look close enough.

Here she is today at around 8" - she has lots more spots than she did when younger

Here is the male I have - spotting yes, lower gill cover no.

My point is that the fish in question here by the OP was pretty small and they can change alot as they grow. There is also alot of variability between fish and it is too early to say certainly that this fish is a male. It could be a male and it could be a female. I am not saying for certain it is a female, just that it is possible.

I am curious why Riceburner believes fish in the pictures with the spots on the gill cover is a male. Has it spawned or is it a subdominant fish in the tank. I look at that picture and immediately thought female. The proof is in the pudding - when it spawns you will know. I would like to know what it turns out to be as I could be wrong and I would like to learn.