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L260
Posted: 15 May 2007, 08:35
by chris 1
I recently picked up an L260, size approx. 70mm TL. The belly is all white. I would like to get another to see if they will breed in a community set up.
Can anyone tell me at what size the marbling on the males belly appears. At the moment I'm assuming I have a female but would like to know for certain.
Thanks in advance.
Posted: 15 May 2007, 11:34
by MatsP
As far as I understand, marbling on the belly is not a good sex-indicator. It may be a key combined with other features, but not a strong one.
The most sure indicator is a combination of behavour, odontodal growth on pectorals and behind the gill-cover (interopercular odontodes). Behavour: Males will guard a cave much more than females. Doesn't mean that females don't hide in a cave if available, but males are more strict about staking one particular cave and sticking to it.
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Mats
Posted: 16 May 2007, 15:51
by chris 1
Cheers Mats.
Posted: 17 May 2007, 00:28
by pureaquatics
Just to reiterate the obvious to others,
At about 2 inches or so females tend to get noticeably rounder in the mid section when looking down on them from above. Honestly that's been the best and soonest indicator of sex for us. Of course that combined with behaivior.
Odontode growth can be misleading as when you keep more than one male in one tank you usually get a subordinate male who doesn't grow odonts like a typical male, thus looking alot like a female.