I have 2 full grown flathead minnows and 6 small flathead minnows. I am trying to determine the sex. I don't see the male tubes in there heads but one does get very territorial and chases the other around. How do you tell the sex. The two large ones are now 2 inches long. I would like to breed them I have place a cup for a nest.
flathead minnows
- Thread starter albertjavieraguilar
- Start date
I assume you're talking about Pimephales promelas. Mature females have a pronounced genital papilla (a short fleshy projection of the vent). Males will generally have thicker bodies than females, even when they don't have the other secondary sexual characters (swollen nape and head, tubercles, black-and-white banding pattern).
Yes Pimephales promelas i got them from a local river and they look like fathead minnows. Had to look up what the nape was (area between the eyes and dorsal) and vent i figured out. Can the tubercles kinda look like noses? I will check the fish out tonight but it does seem like the two big ones are males. thanks
Here's an illustration of a breeding male. The tubercles are the cone-shaped projections on the face.
http://aquaticpath.umd.edu/fhm/images/fhmm6.JPG
http://aquaticpath.umd.edu/fhm/images/fhmm6.JPG
My two big minnows don't look like that at all they must be female. They only look like your illustration when they are breeding right? A mature male not breeing doesn't have the vertical bands, the cone shaped projections, or dark head. BTW I just moved the minnows to the tank with the goldfish to leave the ghost shrimps with eggs alone. She has h ad the eggs over 20 days and they have cleared up and they seem to be near hatching. The goldfish chase the little minnows around.... i will not be surprise if i am missing a couple tomorrow.