Are all blue-eyed syns male?

[eyespot]

I have a 7-8 inch synspilum that I ordered from Jeff Rapps three years ago that I thought was a female (mostly due to the extraordinarily slow growth rate. I've owned two large males in the past that matured much more quickly. This one has only grown about 4 inches in 3 years). Then yesterday I read a thread yesterday in which two MFK members said blue-eyed syns are male. I'd never heard that. Is that true 100% of the time? Mine has blue eyes.

 

[eyespot]

On a completely unrelated note I have two of those plastic caves in the tank that are ugly as sin but I don't have the heart to take them out because my Honduran Redpoints absolutely love them.

 

[Toiletcar]

He looks male to me. Not just because of the eyes, but sloping head. Very nice Melanura ?

 

[Htat]

Here my male syn

 

[eyespot]

He looks male to me. Not just because of the eyes, but sloping head. Very nice Melanura ?

Thanks! I've owned three others in the past (2 males, one female) who all grew much more quickly than this one in large tanks with a varied diet with lots of veggies. I looked back in correspondences with Rapps and it turns out I requested a male and he sent me a vented fish (which I completely forgot because I'm going senile apparently). Now I'm just curious about the blue eyes being an accurate sexual indicator.

 

[Milingu]

Blue eyes are an indication for male but not a solid proof since it works for the most strains or variants of V. melanurus (proper name for synspilum).
But I have seen one strain with females that have blue eyes and I have heard about a second one where the females eyes are blue and turn yellow when in spawning mood.

 

[eyespot]

Blue eyes are an indication for male but not a solid proof since it works for the most strains or variants of V. melanurus (proper name for synspilum).
But I have seen one strain with females that have blue eyes and I have heard about a second one where the females eyes are blue and turn yellow when in spawning mood.

Thanks! Oh well. If Rapps told me it's a male I'll have to trust it's a male but that that's good to know. I know they're called melanurus now but after 35 years in the hobby I'm so sick of learning scientific names and then relearning them when they decide to reclassify everything I get stubborn and passive aggressive about it.

 

[Niki_up]

I also agree yours is male due to the forehead.

the eye color is not a guarantee of sex, just an indicator bc most females have yellow eyes and most males have blue but sometimes the fever happens.

I have a male with yellow eyes

 

[eyespot]

I also agree yours is male due to the forehead.

the eye color is not a guarantee of sex, just an indicator bc most females have yellow eyes and most males have blue but sometimes the fever happens.

I have a male with yellow eyes
View attachment 1412027View attachment 1412028

 

[eyespot]

The fever?