blue-eye panaque: gender

[blueblue]

Dear All,

I have kept the following blue-eye panaque for some time and
I would like to seek your comments on its gender. Please take
a look. It's 12 inches long (not including the extended tips of caudal fin),
and should be a young adult. Thanks

[blueblue]

one more photo

[MatsP]

Probably male, but not having seen many of this particular species, I don't know for sure.

--
Mats

[blueblue]

Thanks Mats. Please find a photo of an alpha male of a similar size in the attachment (this photo was found from the German forum L-Welse). In addition, may you please help move this thread to the right place? I noticed that i posted it in the wrong place... Thanks a lot.

[MatsP]

Well, I's still call your fish male, with reservation - what I'm trying to say is that "If you ask me what sex it is, I'm saying male, but I'm not 100% sure". I'd expect the females to have smaller interopercular spines, and less odontodes on the pectoral fins.

--
Mats

[blueblue]

Thanks Matt. May you please also comment on the following one? Thanks
http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... =5&t=27160

[Barbie]

The males I've seen of these guys are quite furry at this size. Have you owned this fish for awhile? Is it in competition with others in it's tank? If not, I'd say this is a female by body shape, at that size.

Barbie

[blueblue]

The males I've seen of these guys are quite furry at this size. Have you owned this fish for awhile? Is it in competition with others in it's tank? If not, I'd say this is a female by body shape, at that size.

Barbie

Thanks Barbie again. Yes, i have seen some alpha male fish of this size which are very furry.
This specimen is not without hairs but just not that furry. I have kept it for almost 1 month and
it was kept in the retailer's store also for a month, after it was imported. In terms of behaviour, it did sometimes stay in a cave (tube) that i prepared for it while it didn't stay for very long...