H. Multispinosa - Rainbow Cichlid - Male or Female

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elting44

elting44

Piranha
MFK Member
Oct 8, 2007
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Salina, KS
I have recently aquired 2 H.Multispinosa, they are both about 1 1/2" long and look nearly identical. Are they both Male or Female? Sorry for the crummy cell phone photos, best I could do.

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Thanks in advance, I have read that this is a difficult sp. to sex; the males having more pointed anal and dorsal fins and are more colorful. Both these 2 are somewhat drab, but I am assuming because that it due to them being juvies. I have high hopes for them once they grow out, and I would like to get a pair eventually.
 
I have 10 growing out together in order to get a compatible pair, and am trying to ascertain sex differences myself, they are about 3".
Males (I am told) are usually larger, but this is all relative, and seems too nebulous to me, the fin thing is supposedly a better way.
Here is what I believe to be a female, note the rounded anal and dorsal fins.

here is what I believe to be a male, note the slightly more pointed ends.

I also believe a male will have a slightly steeper profile, that trait is barely (maybe) noticeable in my pics
 
Duanes,

Thanks for your input. I'd venture you are correct regarding the female and male you posted.

My rainbows have a shorter profile which leads me to think they could be female, and their anal fins arent as pointed as the male you posted, so I am leaning in the direction that they are females.
 
I have a hard time telling on mine as well. Mine are about 3.5". by the fins I swore they are female but now the profile shows the slightest hump witch leads me to believe they are both male. I am ok with that because I don't want them to breed. They don't sell well because they take so long to color up so many LFS wont take them. I think these are one of the harder cichlids to tell gender.
 
Yeah, they seem to be tough to id sex on. I will try to get better pictures tonight. I am going to bust out the actual camera to get some shots of the new aquascaping of my 55g that the rainbows are in. I would really like to get a pair to go with the convicts that are in there.
 
duanes said:
There is an interesting article on the Cichlid Room Companion web site by Paul Loiselle, with loads of great info about them.
How algae and terrestrial plants are a main part of their diet.
How they can withstand wide swings in temp, and how they move into flooded land to breed.
http://www.cichlidae.com/article.php?id=50
Click to expand...

Thanks for the great info. Once the two I aquired became settled they began to nibble the algae off the rocks and driftwood that bristlenose either missed or couldnt get its mouth on.

The pictures toward the bottom of the article tend to make me think mine are females.

They are a cool little fish, the two I have spend 90% of the time swimmng almost in tandem.
 
After looking at them tonight, I'm leaning toward them being 2 females, more pictures to come
 
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