View Full Version : need a molly ID
Lauren
04-03-2006, 4:52 PM
oh how quickly we forget the latin writting on the sign at the fishstore :o
what kind of molly is this, and is this a male or a female? I knew more about fish than the guy at the petsmart fish department, so I didn't even bother asking.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/silverbeam/fish/untitled.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/silverbeam/fish/100_0787a.jpg
mykidsmylife
04-03-2006, 4:57 PM
Lauren,
It looks like a Lyretail to me. As to the sex....I'm have a guess but don't know for sure so I won't say. Whatever it is...it sure is a pretty fish! Congrats on the new addition.
budrecki
04-03-2006, 5:29 PM
Creamsicle lyre tail
As for boy or girl, it's hard to tell in your photos.
Boys have a modified elongated anal fin, (on the belly), called a gonopodium.
Girls have v shaped anal fins.
KingOfTheDeep
04-03-2006, 5:44 PM
thats a male, most definitely
mishi8
04-03-2006, 5:57 PM
Looks like a female lyretail to me.
Lauren
04-03-2006, 7:09 PM
Creamsicle lyre tail
As for boy or girl, it's hard to tell in your photos.
Boys have a modified elongated anal fin, (on the belly), called a gonopodium.
Girls have v shaped anal fins.
It's hard to tell because of the amount they swim. but I'm pretty sure that the ones with the moon shaped caudal fin are the females, because it appears that the one with the more fan shaped caudal fin does have the gonopodium. But I wanted to make sure I did get 1 male and 3 females
NUMAtrekkie
04-03-2006, 7:16 PM
I once had a pair of black mollies and was able to tell them apart by the dorsal fins. The male had a larger dorsal fin and generally used it to display far more than the female used hers. Based on your photos, I'd say male, as the dorsal fin looks similar to my black male molly.
Aaron
04cobratorchred
04-03-2006, 8:36 PM
Creamsicle lyre tail male
Lauren
04-03-2006, 8:51 PM
man, I need to return two fish now. I didn' tthink I was going to get lyretails, I looked for the gonopodium and I swear the female I have has one, where as the ones with the moonshape tails don't.
wildthinglmd
04-04-2006, 6:51 AM
Creamsicle lyre tail male
I agree!
mishi8
04-04-2006, 9:21 AM
Still looks like a female to me. I'm seeing a fan-shaped anal fin there...and that's the fin that would turn into the gonopodium in a male. If you can get a better pic...one where the pelvic fins are open...it would be easier to see the shapes of the fins to make a determination. I'd hate to see you return fish unnecessarily!
Lauren
04-04-2006, 10:52 AM
some mroe pictures:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/silverbeam/fish/100_0818a.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/silverbeam/fish/100_0797a.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/silverbeam/fish/100_0804a.jpg
budrecki
04-04-2006, 10:55 AM
Sorry, still hard to tell if the fins are folded up, or if they are shy boys!
Does one seem to chase the others? My male molly is ALWAYS after the girls.
Same for my male platie.
Lauren
04-04-2006, 11:00 AM
the one without the lyre tail's anal fin always looks like that. It isn't folded up.
budrecki
04-04-2006, 11:06 AM
Then your regular may be a boy.
mishi8
04-04-2006, 11:19 AM
It sounds to me like your "regular" platy is a male and the lyretails are females. However, are they continually clamping their fins? You're male (the top photo) looks like all his fins are clamped tightly.
pleco4030
04-04-2006, 11:30 AM
thats last picture kind of looks like a female.... i guess
Lauren
04-04-2006, 11:34 AM
It sounds to me like your "regular" platy is a male and the lyretails are females. However, are they continually clamping their fins? You're male (the top photo) looks like all his fins are clamped tightly.
This is a crappy camera that doens't take pictures while they are still. I took about 30 pictures to get these three decent ones. Usually their fins are open, but the camera always seemed to get them when they just started to move from being still, which is why it seems like their fins are clamped.
The smaller one seems to be the agressor of the group, however, the other ones pick on eachother as well.
mishi8
04-04-2006, 11:59 AM
This is a crappy camera that doens't take pictures while they are still. I took about 30 pictures to get these three decent ones. Usually their fins are open, but the camera always seemed to get them when they just started to move from being still, which is why it seems like their fins are clamped.
The smaller one seems to be the agressor of the group, however, the other ones pick on eachother as well.
I dont' seem to have much luck with taking pics of my fish either...the shutter response is delayed...and so they often move out of position by the time the pic is snapped. :)
Lauren
04-05-2006, 11:19 AM
one more bumb because I still don't have a definate answer. The "females" have the tails the males are supposed to have but no gonopodium where as the "male" doesn't have the right fin, but has a gonopodium. Did petsmart sell me some freak fish or something?
mishi8
04-05-2006, 1:25 PM
one more bumb because I still don't have a definate answer. The "females" have the tails the males are supposed to have but no gonopodium where as the "male" doesn't have the right fin, but has a gonopodium. Did petsmart sell me some freak fish or something?
Lauren, which fish were you trying to get? Were they all supposed to be lyretails? Were you trying to get two males and a female? Otherwise, the ratio of 1 male to 2 females should be fine as is.
Lauren
04-05-2006, 2:30 PM
I was trying to get three females one male, but I think I may have three males one female, which wouldn't be good