sexing b. multiradiatus

[cincy]

First of all, I'm assuming I'm correct in the ID of these fish: b. multiradiatus, the Long Nosed or Hog Nosed brochis. The nose is right and the dorsal has 17 rays.

One of the books I have shows a picture of a pair of these with one fish with a high dorsal (as seen in the picture below) and one with a more normal arched dorsal and states that the male has the high dorsal. If this is true, then not only are my six fish males, the entire shipment is all males. No other book or web reference I've seen points out this difference.

Is this a reliable indicator to sex these fish?

Thanks
Mike

[joern]

Hello Mike

yes, your fish are B.multiradiatus.

.....of a pair of these with one fish with a high dorsal ...

That was in a D.Sand's book ? I remember a picture with that sort of title...and they look very thin or elongated on that picture ??

I do not aggree with that...otherwise there would be only males in the trade....
O.k., if they would be so easy to sex, it would be no problem to send the male e.g. to Europe und the females to USA or so.....and we try and wait and try and wait for breeding.....

No, i believe, both sexes show a "high" dorsal fin.

this is one if my females:

The females have a higher boby and look more compact...and are a little shorter than the males......
These two are probably a pair:

female on the right.....

In the catelog of this species http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/im ... ge_id=5967
picture 7 is of my group shortly after arrival, the one in the forground is male. Much mor "slim line"...but they are all a little more round now...get a little more to eat here

It's not easy to sex them...I found no differences in the fins (neither dorsal nor others)it' more a question of body shape...the more higher and compact (and often shorter) indivuduals are females.

When they arrive in the trade and are not in a good condition, it fearly hard to sex them....wait a little and keep them fine, that makes it easier.

Good luck with these nice fish !