Sexing Texas's

[heavyjuice]

Yeah gday. i was just wondering how to sex texas cichlids. i have a small one about two inches (no pun intended) and a bigger one about 6 inches. they obviously look the same but the littel one sometimes has black all over its chin and caudal fins. the bigger one i have never had this. they are fairly aggressive towards each other. does this colouration and there behaiviuour indicate a differnet in sex and thus are mearly ready to get it on. so my questions really is how do you tell the differences between the sexes. (any internet sites would be helpful)

heavyjuice

[AikidoGuy]

texas cichlids and Carpintis are (for me) one of the harder one to sex when young. USUALLY the female will have black markings just below the dorsil fin and the female will a greater sloped head. This is a female the black markings below the dorsil got washed out as did the bright blue spots but look at the hea dof your fish and see if you notice any difference
http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL15/947217/1747145/20799737.jpg

[Arvo]

does anyone else have any pictures of sexed texas'?

BTW, how accurate is the"spot on dorsal fin" method on sexing texes?

Thanks.

Arvo.

[cichlidscene]

The dorsal shading of females IME seems to apply; here's a female I kept a few years back:

http://www.cichlidscene.com/img/texold/lg/19980822tex6.jpg


Link to her photo page:
http://www.cichlidscene.com/img/texold/index.html (Tex Female)

[H8Parrotfish 13]

Look at there sex organs. Males have a pointed organ. Females have a shorter more rounder off one. Looks like a nub. Especially when laying eggs you'll see it's really not long and pointed at all.

Another good point (I was told, and it works) Is there heads. Males develop Nuchal humps right? So even when they loose them they have a sloped forhead like a straight line down. And the female has more of an "L" shaped head. Instead of a "\" shaped forhead. Also The Anal and Dorsal finnage is more elongated and "pointed" at the ends. Females are shorter "not by much" and rounder.

Hope this helps?

I'll try and get some pics for you.

Oops almost forgot.
When they are small and start becoming more sexually active. Usually the female is more aggresive and develops the breeding pattern. While the male has a darker color and becomes less active after they have mated and developed a territory.

[Arvo]

cool...


Oops almost forgot.
When they are small and start becoming more sexually active. Usually the female is more aggresive and develops the breeding pattern. While the male has a darker color and becomes less active after they have mated and developed a territory.

That is how mine are acting...but they are only about 2-3 inches in lenght. I think they are too young but we will see..

More pics of know males and females would be gladly appricated....

Thanks.

[H8Parrotfish 13]

Here ya go...

http://www.cichlidae.com/articles/a048.html

Oh, the spawing sequence for me is role reversed.