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For some years now I'm trying to learn how to sex catfish, even at a young age. It absolutely fascinates me enormously!!
I ones started an other tread on Panaqolus here, and what we know about females. Every one keeps saying females don't show odonthode growth but I kept seeing they did. I have noticed that females show their odonthode growth more or less depending on their state of breeding condition.
I also read that females could show yellow pigmentation around their genital papilla. I have looked at my own fish and I can say it seems to be true! It only appears on adult females, I haven't seen it on young fish.

I just want to share my discoveries and like to hear and talk about this if anyone feels like joining in. I think we can all learn a lot!

Here are some pictures of two kinds of Panaqolus species, both male and females. You may have to enlarge some of the pictures to see the pigmentation better.

A group of 6 Panaqolus sp. L204



The males:

1




2




The females

1




2




3




4





And here is my group of 6 L374:



Male





Females

1




2




3




4




5

darn they all looks the same to me. i mean yeah the males had longer odonthodes on their tails but all of them have long ones on their pectorals, they all have similar shaped heads, and all of their undersides look the same. how are you so good at telling them apart?

Me (no expert) guessing;
-group-pic L204:
The two on the right and the middle-one males
Others females
-group-pic L374:
The one in the upper right corner is a male
Can not see what the upper-middel-one is / female not in breeding condition or fat male
Others female

On the other hand this http://www.planetcatfish.com/common/cap ... %28male%29 Panaqolus dentex looks female to me

For the top right fish of the L204, she is a female not a male.

I'm not looking for people that are guessing for the sex on these fish. I already know what they are.
I would like to talk/hear/read more about sexing Lnumbers and what others have found so far to be helping. Love to have more interaction with other breeders or longtime keepers of catfish. Sharing some information..

so how do you tell the differences? they all look similar.

With the l204s the males have very distinct large odontodes(spikes)on there tails. Look more closely at the pictures and you can tell. If you see them in person the odontodes are very evident.

Panaqolus seem to be very easy to sex, I have a hard time sexing some other plecos where you must distinguish sex based on head shape.

yeah i can see that, but the OP is saying that these can be told apart by coloration of their undersides, and as far as i can see they are all similar!i am newb at this so i can't tell the difference.

Awesome post Just started getting set up to breed L204's so this was a great pic tutorial for me

Valb68 wrote:Awesome post Just started getting set up to breed L204's so this was a great pic tutorial for me

Glad it was of some help to you.

Valb68 wrote:Awesome post Just started getting set up to breed L204's so this was a great pic tutorial for me

I agree , Jac you've been a great help ; I breed L 204 for about 2 years; your pics are fantastic and informative

i see no other differences besides the longer odonthodes on the males' tail region.
Could you please elaborate on your pictures and point out other differences?

great thread. I am hoping for a group of LDA31's (mustard spots.) They are by far my favorite panaquolas. Currently have some young L191s and young L204's.

I will come back to this tread later this week. I want to take some more pictures first to show what I mean. That often says more then words.

.Plecomania. wrote:i see no other differences besides the longer odonthodes on the males' tail region.
Could you please elaborate on your pictures and point out other differences?

If you look around the vent of the females, most have some yellow coloration. I find this to be a lot more evident on females that have spawned - that's the case for Panaquolus, Ancistrus and Hemiancistrus from what I've seen. I imagine it may be almost universal?

ah i noticed the yellow now, yeah!

at what size/age do they start to show that? looking back at some older groups I had (pictures of), the yellow does seem to show up in most females. My females L127 definately had the yellow.

nvcichlids wrote:at what size/age do they start to show that? looking back at some older groups I had (pictures of), the yellow does seem to show up in most females. My females L127 definately had the yellow.

IME, it starts to show up around sexual maturity. In pretty much every pleco I've spawned (meaning, I haven't documented all spp I've spawned, but I cannot recall one that doesn't), the yellow is more prominant after laying eggs for the first time. I've spawned spp. from Ancistrus, Panaquolus, Hypancistrus and Hemiancistrs. I believe my Pseudacanthicus have laid eggs, but I haven't noticed it on that female, but I usually only see her after the lights are out and haven't really taken much notice since I know she's a she!

For sure Peckoltia L134 have it too, the yellow spots.

All my Panaqolus shown haven't spawned yet so it isn't due to passing eggs. I do think it will get intenser ones they start spawning and get a bit older.

If you enlarge the pictures above, you can see the pigmentation more clearly.

Nice info that you post.
Thank you, and if you don't mind can I share this topic with our locally Indonesian Plecos Lover?

Thank you so much...

How about big panaque plecos species such as: l090, 091, 330, 027, etc...
Thank you

Igor Hotasi Simamora wrote: Thank you, and if you don't mind can I share this topic with our locally Indonesian Plecos Lover?

Your welcome, no problem with sharing