Sexing my Baryancistrus beggini (L239) please?

[1walter9]

I have bought 4 L239, they are all around 9cm(3.5"), have all small bristels on the first fins and beside the gills. I understood that the women in the middle of their body are broader that the head and the men are at their head broadest, can somebody help me with sexing? See below for the pictures.
Are they sexualy mature from this size????????????

Female?

Male?

Female?

Female?

[MatsP]

The photos are quite hard to read, but I think you have both male and female fish in the collection. The first seems pretty "fat" which would be a female. But beyond that, I'd say it's hard to say for sure.

#3 looks more like a male than a female to me.

--
Mats

[Richard B]

Is it me or do the pelvic fins look a different shape in #1 to the rest?

[mangopleco]

you have some nice ones but i have to agree with mats on this one. The first photo looks like a female by a long shot and the third photo looks like a male more than a female. The the others a hard to tell. Let them grow more than it will be easy to tell male and female

[1walter9]

What are the characteristics to think that it is a male and no female for you?


thanks for your time, greatings, W@lter

[nvcichlids]

I would agree with them, based on what you even said, the body gets narrower as it tapers off into the tail while the others tend to plump out before going back. (this is a long shot here) 1,2,4 could/should be females and 3 male.

[andywoolloo]

Those are my dream plecos, and you got four!! Congrats!!!

I will say girl, boy, boy, boy

because the top one's head seems like a female to me, or at
the least different from the other three.

Good luck with them, everything I have read is mainly how sensitive
they are. Like gold nuggets.

[1walter9]

thanks everyone, but I have search the Internet and they say if the head is broadest of the body then it a possible male, and if the body in the middle is broader than the head then it's a possible female.

But when they are fully mature, you can see it by the first fins and cheak bristels, but now is gamble and the future will show it, but according to me becauce of the size, are they sexualy mature at this point?



greatings, W@lter

[1walter9]

Those are my dream plecos, and you got four!! Congrats!!!

Yes, and they were not that expensive

Good luck with them, everything I have read is mainly how sensitive
they are. Like gold nuggets.

I have also heard that they are very sensitive, I will go to my bone to give them a pleasant life. And to spawm them. They are beatifull

[Suckermouth]

Hmmm, I think it's easier to tell with side views. B. beggini is naturally rounder than most plecs; they can even have the protruding side plates and a sunken belly at the same time. Although, I've never paid attention to see how the head width compares to the body width, so there might be something to that which I'm not aware of.

I can say that my male B. beggini obviously has more odontodes than the females. It shouldn't be too hard to tell.

[1walter9]

I can say that my male B. beggini obviously has more odontodes than the females. It shouldn't be too hard to tell.

Yours must be bigger than my 9cm L239, i have to wait for the males will separate of the females.

Loke at my L239 adontodes, see below, they are all 4 the same.








by, Walter

[krazyGeoff]

Hi Walter

Loke at my L239 adontodes, see below, they are all 4 the same.

My females odontodes are 2 times bigger than these, and the male is at least 4 times bigger.

They were all growing at the same rate and then one day the females just stopped, and the male kept growing.
I also did not pay much attention to the head shape, and just let them grow. I did think that one of the females was a male, about 6 months ago, as the odontodes did seem quite long relative to other species.

Geoff

[1walter9]

Can you place some pictures of your male and female, so i can see the difference very clear?



gr, W@lter

[Suckermouth]

I'm fairly certain that B. beggini does not get much larger than 3.5"/9 cm. Based on odontodes alone, your fish all look female to me. If you look in the Cat-eLog, they have some pics of males. I will note that the odontodes on my male are no longer as distinctly red as in the image, although they originally were when I purchased him; I am unsure if this is related to breeding condition or if it's an effect from nature such as diet.

Unfortunately I have left my fish with family at the moment so I can't take pics of them... Sorry.

[inkyjenn]

if these guys are new, it may take some time for the odonts to grow in properly. my definitive male had very short odonts for a long time. it took about 6 months before real growth was evident. now he had uber odonts!

[krazyGeoff]

Can you place some pictures of your male and female, so i can see the difference very clear?
gr, W@lter

Hi Walter,
I just moved these guys a couple of weeks ago and just want to leave them be until they settle down properly.
In 3 weeks or so I will be taking pictures of some other things so will see if I can snap these guys at the same time.

Geoff

[krazyGeoff]

Hi Walter,
I found a photo from a while ago.

This is the male.

[andywoolloo]

looks like they are having a very serious convo!

beautiful pl*cos! the both of them!

[1walter9]

Hi Walter,
I found a photo from a while ago.

This is the male.

Thanks for your photo, how did you now it was a male?

[MatsP]

The big odontodes at the rear end of the gill cover is a good key.

--
Mats

[nvcichlids]

Hi Walter,
I found a photo from a while ago.

This is the male.

DSC01324.JPG

Bristlenose: " Nice Mustache."

L239: " Nice Mohawk!"

[krazyGeoff]

Thanks for your photo, how did you now it was a male?

The big odontodes at the rear end of the gill cover is a good key.

Hi,
This photo does not show the odontodes on the pectoral fins, but it does show the odontodes at the rear end of the gill cover, as Mats points out. I find on my male that these are also much longer than the female.
Geoff

[1walter9]

So, it is not special necessary that the male has long odontodes on the pectoral fins?

[MatsP]

So, it is not special necessary that the male has long odontodes on the pectoral fins?

In good condition, the male will indeed have clearly visible odontodes on the pectoral fins.

--
Mats