help id please

[nitromilitia66]

can anybody please help me ID and sex these fish... i was wondering if they can breed or are the both the same sex or if its not goin to work... please help

first

second

Thanks for all the info you might be able to give me!!!

 

[N-E Cichlids]

The fisrt one is a male yellow lab. Female yellow labs are a dull yellow and not that bright. The other fish is a male Auratus. Female Auratus are yellow with a black stripe that runs down their side.

 

[mostlycichlids]

The first picture is a yellow lab (Labidochromis caeruleus) looks to be a female. The males have more black on their anal finns and usually have a black bar through their eye. The second is a Melanochromis auratus Who looks to be a female. The second looks to be changing to female colors. Here is a good profile page for the auratus. It may be a male if it stays that color if it changes to yellow its a female.

looking at the first picture of the yellow lab it could very well be Male you cant really see the bottom finnage but I do see a lot of black on the first pic. and the dorsal fin has a lot of black but I would still say female because of its body shape it looks a little rounder and plumper. Then again the only sure way to tell them apart is to vent them or if breeding wait till they pair off and see if it is holding eggs in its mouth.

Check out www.cichlid-forum.com for profiles and pictures of female and male fish.

http://cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=750

 

[SinisterKisses]

Okay, I'm sorry, but 'female labs being lighter' and 'your lab is a female, males have darker/more black' is bull****. You cannot visually sex a lab, unless you see it spawn. Period. Yours is just a very washed out lab, of a poor quality (sorry, but I'm just letting you know). As to the sex, no one is going to be able to tell you that from a pic.

And female auratus don't change colour, males do, like n-e cichlids said. They're born yellow, females stay that way, and males change.

 

[nitromilitia66]

The second looks to be changing to female colors. Here is a good profile page for the auratus. It may be a male if it stays that color if it changes to yellow its a female.

when i first got the fish it was really yello then changed toa really dar color now it seems to be changing back

 

[mostlycichlids]

Okay, I'm sorry, but 'female labs being lighter' and 'your lab is a female, males have darker/more black' is bull****. You cannot visually sex a lab, unless you see it spawn. Period. Yours is just a very washed out lab, of a poor quality (sorry, but I'm just letting you know). As to the sex, no one is going to be able to tell you that from a pic.

And female auratus don't change colour, males do, like n-e cichlids said. They're born yellow, females stay that way, and males change.

Thank you for correcting me on the auratus dont know what I was thinking its still early for me and I knew that. As far as the Lab I was just taking a guess and I did state that the only sure way to tell is at spawning time or to vent them.
I will edit my last post to correct that coloration change so no one gets the wrong info.
well it too late but yes they all start yellow and change to male color.

 

[N-E Cichlids]

The yellow lab is what they call a White belly morph. As far as the sex of the yellow lab. You guys are right a picture won't tell you anything. Since we can't vent them or watch them pair off from a picture all of are answers are opinions. In my opinion I would say that is a male. My opinnion is based on my breeding colony of yellow labs. My females are smaller and alot lighter than my males. It dosen't mean I am right on this picture, but it also dosen't mean I am wrong.

 

[mike dunagan]

my male auratus lost its color after a few larger males showed him who was boss. When they move to a larger tank i am sure he will get it back... They are waiting for it to finish its cycle.

 

[Scotty]

can anybody please help me ID and sex these fish... i was wondering if they can breed or are the both the same sex or if its not goin to work... please help

first

second

Thanks for all the info you might be able to give me!!!

If I look purely at the fish in the pic then I would guess it to be a female. Why I say this is your males tend to develop a lot more black in all their fins. A really mature male will also get a darkening around the face which allows for easy ID. Males tend to be a lot bigger ion size than the females. Your safest bet thow is to vent the fish. Needs to be 2-3in for easier ID.
The second two pics are that of what is caloled a Melanochromis sp. "auratus elongate".
The ordinary auratus does not have the black stripe on the lower half of the tail fin. If the fish has changed colour then you can more than likely assume it to be a male. They become almost dark brown/black of colouring.

 

[straitjacketstar]

Yellow labs with white bellies aren't necessarily of poor quality. There are white-bellied labs that occur naturally in the lake, restricted to a (or a few) location(s), however.

The second fish is Melanochromis auratus. Likely male but females have been known to take on male coloration for short periods.

The ordinary auratus does not have the black stripe on the lower half of the tail fin.

Some females maybe.

Looks like a regular old M. auratus to me.

http://www.c-u-w.net/jpg/ad_konigs/melanochromis_auratus_(ad_konigs).jpg
http://www.aquamalawi.com/assets/images/Me.Auratus01m.jpg
http://www.vda-online.de/zucht/images/MelanochromisAuratusM_klein.jpg
http://www.vitawater.ru/exhib/pict/konfju05/img632.jpg
http://www.hojleddet.dk/images/thumbnails/m_auratus_han1_500.jpg
http://www.sozo.sk/digi/2005/730/hk/cichlidy/02287642.jpg
http://www.mbuna.dk/1035.jpg
http://akwarystykamaly.webpark.pl/melanochromis_auratus_fpyszczakzlocisty_.jpg
http://akwarystykamaly.webpark.pl/melanochromis_auratus_fpyszczakzlocisty.jpg
http://www.worldfish.fr/cbx/melanoauratuscouple.jpg
http://malawicichlids.com/mw09002a.htm