Can YOU Determine the Sex of Your BGK? The Answer

[Toby_H]

Anyone can make a random claim... but has anyone established a captive bred supply? Nope... I find it very unlikely that someone figured out how to breed them and then moved onto another challenge without using their discovery for personal gain, be it financial or reputation or simple ego boosts.

But if unconfirmed claims are accepted as fact around here... I have a pair of Dempseys that spawn and produce rabbits... I'll sell them to ya for only 30 grand...

I do know that University Scientists have been studying Knife fish for many years (the electrical sensory has intrigeeded sciencists since it's discovery) and I do know that these same scientists claim that the BGK has not been bred in captivity. I see no harm in a hobbyist attempting to breed them, but to assume you are going to unravel the mystry that scientists have been toying with for years is just silly...

 

[Pyramid_Party]

I found another source of a claimed breeding: http://www.gnsaquarium.com.au/html/bgk.html

 

[HugeGhost]

I heard that long snout are the males and the rounder snouts are the females and the males grow very fast the females grow very slow.

 

[midnightCK]

i doubt any of this is right... so much controversy.

the physical apperance has been going back and forth between actual BGK and brown ghosts... all over internet.

and i think like nc said.. if they did it why wouldnt they keep on doing it .. ghost knifes havent been mass bred yet they would OWN. and adding wild caught juvies shouldnt be hard to keep adding new genes...

i wish i knew if my bgk was a girl or boy.. i think its a girl tho shes so spoiled..

 

[Pyramid_Party]

I heard that long snout are the males and the rounder snouts are the females and the males grow very fast the females grow very slow.

I dont know, I dont have a few BGKs to compare. I only own 1


I read something though that said the Males have more of a horse shape head and their eyes are higher up on their heads. And female heads are more slender looking with their eyes closer down by their mouths. I dont know, but again, I dont have a few BGKs to compare.


It makes me wonder sometimes that since people claim to have tried to compare and they all look identical. Maybe they only sell one gender of BGK so that people cant breed them. I dont know, I mean I know they do this sometimes with other fish. Sell only 1 gender.

 

[NotoriousSway]

If no one has successfully bred them then doesn't that mean that all BGK sold in stores are wild caught? even the ones at petsmarts? Just wondering...

 

[dark_knights_99]

If no one has successfully bred them then doesn't that mean that all BGK sold in stores are wild caught? even the ones at petsmarts? Just wondering...

i believe someone already bred these guys but they won't tell the public their secret, besides its thier only way of living.

 

[dbcb314]

I have had to do "recordings" of black ghosts and other knives at the lab.

For some, he will tell me how to tell the difference between the two because I have to put in "male, female, or uknown" in a section of the sheet I have to do while recording them. Some of pretty obvious (once they mature) such as brown ghosts and P. hasemani. Some can easily be seen in their EOD recording (IF THEY ARE THE SAME SIZE).

Most however, have very very slight difference that I can't tell... or I am told their is no difference whatsoever. black ghosts are one of those. They have to tank blood samples and/or cut them open and take a look to find out.

We have at least 40 BGK at the lab right now and their is not a difference in the males and females at all. You think you notice a pattern when looking at them (like the elusive "head shape" ****) until you get to one that you think is ia male and its labeled a female.

I could ask him as well if they have been bred... but I don't see the point when someone else on the internet can just "claim" to have done somethign so easily.

 

[cogs]

my brother inlaw bred them a few times his girl had a shorter profile head and fuller body ,he had a bare tank with a icecream contanier full of quater inch smooth pepples in it with a box bubble filter the fry eat eachother hard out tho good luck

 

[ausarow]

sexing fish shouldnt be so hard guys. get your fish in spawning condition using the correct cues if you know them. knock them out. turn them on the side and try strip some milt from them. if you get milt you know it is a boy. if not maybe it is a girl or you dont have it ready enough. if it cant be managed to get a boy in spawning condition then they arent likley to breed anyhow. the other option with big fish is to use an ultrasound. that will show up eggs on a female in spanwing condition.

also i wouldnt cut a fish open for sexing. females with eggs can take a glass tube up their vent to see if you get eggs.
if no one is breeding them it is likley that the cues are unknown.