How do you sex yellow labs

[Red Devil]

I've seen a number of females that most people would swear are males until one day they've got a mouthful. Was actually at a friends place a while back, and he was showing how great his subdominant male looked. Beautiful yellow, solid black in all fins, great looking fish. He called me three hours later to say 'he' was holding. The only sure-fire way to tell is venting.

i have to agree with you,that is the only"sure" way.

 

[ikevi]

Just curious is there a particular reason why you don't want females/males. The good this with yellow labs as everyone has said is that they are almost impossible to tell apart, and while venting works it isn't always that easy, especially if the fish isn't that big. The even better news is that with yellow labs male/female ratio doesn't matter really at all. The females will hold there own. (Worse comes to worse you have say 6 males 1 female, oh so soon you will have that female holding, make sure there is hiding space, then pull her out one the fry have at least hatched and become free swimming, so that you don't have to worry if she spits, then of course you will very very soon have too many females to care about ratios.)

 

[mitch4ya]

Personally I just watch their behavior and usually the male is the most dominant fish, watch for the dancing(mating) behavior in front of another fish and that's your male/female.

 

[fish head )'>]

Labs are one of those fish where the sexes look almost identical, and sexing them by appearance only is typically impossible (unless you see them spawning or a female holding, of course). What Mike said about venting is the only real way to sex them.

The even better news is that with yellow labs male/female ratio doesn't matter really at all. The females will hold there own.

Personally I just watch their behavior and usually the male is the most dominant fish, watch for the dancing(mating) behavior in front of another fish and that's your male/female.

In the case of the spawning picture, the male happens to be larger, and the male happens to have a more pronounced black fin. (the female happens to have a mouth full of eggs) This is not always the case. I have males with NO black at all.

 

[SinisterKisses]

If you have males (or females) with no black at all, they're hybrids.

 

[mike dunagan]

not true, just because they are without black does not mean they are hybrids. It could be from isolating a trait, or by chance same as albinos...

 

[African_Fever]

Not in the case of yellow labs. If they have no black at all, they're hybrids (there have been quite a few of these out lately, and most look to be crossed with Met. estherae or Ps. saulosi).

 

[SinisterKisses]

Sorry, but it is true...the absense of any black means they're hybrids. As already mentioned, most are a lab/estherae cross, and they're kind of taking over. Good quality, pure labs are getting more difficult to find.

 

[merc123]

What if it has a black fin and 1 single egg spot on the anal fin?

 

[fish head )'>]

If you have males (or females) with no black at all, they're hybrids.

Let me take that back. ALMOST no black.
He sometimes even colors down even more to the more dominate males.
I respect your input. Can you tell me more about this hybrid that you are talking about, what is the mix? what is the point? they breed easy anyway.