Group of Zebras L046 *** please help to ID their genders ***

amazing_betta · Post by **amazing_betta** » 18 Jan 2006, 08:23

Hello fellas,
New here and kinda new with zebras too. Got eight zebras and have no clues what their genders are. Please help and I will appreciate your expertise and input regarding their sexes.

Here they are!!!
Thanks a lot!!!!!

[/img]

Telnes · Post by **Telnes** » 18 Jan 2006, 14:52

Greate looking plecos ! I tryed to enlarge the picture to have a closer look, but it just became fussy om my scren. But they are quite young arent they ? And how did you manage to post the picture direktly into the post ? Sorry fore the off topic.

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 18 Jan 2006, 15:30

Amazing_bettas: I think Telnes is right about the age of these fish being a bit young to determine sex of them. Also, the picture is a bit distorted thanks to the ripple on the surface of the water, which doesn't help. I would think that it would help to have a picture of each fish invdividually, from straight above. I know this is a bit more work, but it makes it easier for the person identifying the fish.

Telnes: You can post pictures in your message using the format

Code: Select all

[img]http://www.somewhere.com/imagename.jpg[/img]

Obviously, the "somewhere.com" and "imagename.jpg" should be suitable for whatever site you're keeping your images at. It MUST be a web-site that allows "outsiders" to access it without loging in or similar.

--
Mats

Telnes · Post by **Telnes** » 19 Jan 2006, 07:16

Thanks mats. Thats my problem then, the site dosent let me do that trick.

amazing_betta · Post by **amazing_betta** » 19 Jan 2006, 07:19

Thanks guys for the input. I'll try to take some individual pictures later on.
Number 2 and number 6 zebras are 3.25" already and I am assuming they are both males. However, number 6 is always playing around. He doesn't hanged out by the cave entrance. He spent most of the time in the back or in the side of the cave and sometimes over the top. Very territorial and kept chasing the other smaller ones. I hardly see him in the front of the cave. Maybe a she? Also, his black stripes are much wider than the white stripes.

He also has a dark coloration.

Anyways, thanks for the help.

amazing_betta · Post by **amazing_betta** » 19 Jan 2006, 07:27

Here are some group shot and munching on mysis shrimps.

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Mindy · Post by **Mindy** » 19 Jan 2006, 08:27

If they're old enough to sex, there are a few things you can look for. Like everyone else, I'm having trouble seeing through the ripples...

Different people have their own specific thing that helps them identify sexes - here are a few of them. Viewed from the side, the males face often slopes more gradually down to the nose, where the female is a bit of a sharper slope.

Shape of the pectoral fin - the females tend to be a bit more rounded (and the males get more odontodal growth).

Cheek odontodes - generally speaking the males "whiskers" will keep going past the eye (moreso in the alpha male)... but sometimes you can get some hairy ladies too!

Body shape - observe the space between front and back set of fins. The bodies taper from their head to the tail. If the body starts to taper from behind the pectoral fins, that usually indicates a male. But a female will stay quite plump between the two sets of fins and start to taper after the second set of fins. But like most indicators, this is something that only really shows properly when they're mature.

Good luck!

amazing_betta · Post by **amazing_betta** » 21 Jan 2006, 01:45

Thanks for the input.

Mindy wrote:If they're old enough to sex, there are a few things you can look for. Like everyone else, I'm having trouble seeing through the ripples...

Different people have their own specific thing that helps them identify sexes - here are a few of them. Viewed from the side, the males face often slopes more gradually down to the nose, where the female is a bit of a sharper slope.

Shape of the pectoral fin - the females tend to be a bit more rounded (and the males get more odontodal growth).

Cheek odontodes - generally speaking the males "whiskers" will keep going past the eye (moreso in the alpha male)... but sometimes you can get some hairy ladies too!

Body shape - observe the space between front and back set of fins. The bodies taper from their head to the tail. If the body starts to taper from behind the pectoral fins, that usually indicates a male. But a female will stay quite plump between the two sets of fins and start to taper after the second set of fins. But like most indicators, this is something that only really shows properly when they're mature.

Good luck!

Group of Zebras L046 * please help to ID their genders *

Group of Zebras L046 * please help to ID their genders *

More pictures!

Thanks Mindy!!!!