Bristlenose growth a sign of gender?

**user_name** · 11-07-2010, 1:38 PM

I have had 3 BN fry for a few months now, and they are all the exact same age. The weird part is, one of mine is double the size of the other two. Could this be a sign of gender?

**jetajockey** · 11-07-2010, 2:08 PM

I have a similar thing happening with mine also, all from the same brood, one is much larger than the others and is showing bristles now. I don't know, though.

**Ashes2ashes** · 11-07-2010, 5:11 PM

Well, the easiest way to tell is when they get bristles obviously lol. Mine are all from the same brood yours are from UN and a good bit of them have bristles, but it is not specific to the larger ones ....so I am not sure size really says anything about gender.

**fish-n-chips** · 11-07-2010, 5:45 PM

Females tend to be more wide bodied. Also males have alot more bristles, where as females have only a few, from my experience anyway.

**7itanium** · 11-07-2010, 5:48 PM

Not IME... some just tend to grow a bit faster. never experienced it to be a sign of gener and I have never read anything about this

**jackiomy** · 11-07-2010, 5:56 PM

I have a breeding pair in one tank and a lone male from the same spawn in another. The loner is easily twice the size of my breeders.

**RiVerfishgirl** · 11-07-2010, 5:59 PM

When mature, IME females tend to be broader and fatter.

But growth when juveniles I don't think is determined by sex. Genetics play a part, and also some are bigger eaters than others. Yours may just be eating much more than the others so growing faster. When I raise fry they do not tend to grow at the same rate and much of the time the bigger ones seem to be much more ravenous eaters, and that goes for various species of fish.

**fish-n-chips** · 11-07-2010, 6:15 PM

If you want to research some on your own, www.planetcatfish.com is an awesome site!

**user_name** · 11-07-2010, 8:39 PM

Originally Posted by Ashes2ashes

Well, the easiest way to tell is when they get bristles obviously lol. Mine are all from the same brood yours are from UN and a good bit of them have bristles, but it is not specific to the larger ones ....so I am not sure size really says anything about gender.

none of mine have distinctive bristles yet, thats weird....

I guess it must just be growth patterns, i just think that it's weird how much of a difference there is....

**pinkertd** · 11-08-2010, 3:21 PM

It does not indicate gender. It is strange that there's that much of a difference in the three of them. Some do fall behind, grow at a slower rate, eat a little less, genetics. And some grow a little faster, eat more, and genetics. Keep an eye that the other 2 are getting enought to eat and if so, you won't know gender 100% until you see some bristles or you see one of them getting real broad in the sides. If they are fry, you won't see this for months yet.