Green Severum coloring and sexing help

[rabbithearted]

My green severum doesn't look like many juvenile green sev's I have seen. He was a darker color when I first brought him home but as he's tripled in size in the last couple months, his color has lightened and seems to have a blue and purple color near his gill plate, and around his eyes with lots of orange/red freckles around his nose. Most I have seen are much darker in coloring and their stripes are more prominent, like his only dark one. Maybe I just haven't seen great pictures of them I guess.
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Also, any advice on sexing him/her? I'd like to get it a friend but have read that two males will end up fighting, like most male cichlids.

 

[ryansmith83]

He looks like a pretty standard H. efasciatus type. The red striping on the face and nose would suggest he'll probably be male, but it's hard to be sure until he's a bit larger and his adult colors come in. Females will usually have solid-colored faces and gills.

Severums don't always have to show their dark bars, especially if there's only one severum in the tank.

 

[hamfist]

He looks like a pretty standard H. efasciatus type. The red striping on the face and nose would suggest he'll probably be male, but it's hard to be sure until he's a bit larger and his adult colors come in. Females will usually have solid-colored faces and gills.

Severums don't always have to show their dark bars, especially if there's only one severum in the tank.

+1 to all that. THere are so many different strains of H.efasciatus and also loads of genetic mixing within the trade, that there is a lot of variety in the colouring of green sevs. He/she looks very happy though. cheeks look male, but bodyshape female to me at the moment. Will show true gender in time.