If you mean by spangles, you mean spots? Spots are a often male trait in North and Central American cichlids, but an almost solid blue area in JDs (other color in other species), (often called a beard) is female.
Though the picks below are not JDs, these are often C Amer cichlid, typical gender traits
male, spots
female, solid red color (in motaguense)
Here is another example
male Nandopsis tetracanthus (spotty)
female (solid black)
and another example
male grammodes
female
in some other Central American cichlids the males have spots on the unpaired fins, like the male nicaraguans below
females have more solid colors in the unpaired fins
like the 2 females in the foreground below
Though the picks below are not JDs, these are often C Amer cichlid, typical gender traits
male, spots
female, solid red color (in motaguense)
Here is another example
male Nandopsis tetracanthus (spotty)
female (solid black)
and another example
male grammodes
female
in some other Central American cichlids the males have spots on the unpaired fins, like the male nicaraguans below
females have more solid colors in the unpaired fins
like the 2 females in the foreground below