ID: Male of Female?

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probassfisher010

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Aug 31, 2011
2,635
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California
Hello, I am trying to get rid of this 4.5 inch Convict cichlid, and I am saying it is a colorful male. However, others seem very convinced that it is a female. Let's see what some experienced Sa/Ca cichlid keepers think. You can see the hump very well in the photo, and also the trailers are very long, usually longer but they were nipped off. Also, completely destroyed a guarenteed male cichlid that they were housed together for one night...was supposed to be temporary..

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Ive definitly heard of male convicts having female colors..and I think this is the case. This thing is too agressive to be a female...and too large...and it has a hump?
 
Yeah, 99% sure it's a she.
I've seen many females with that little curve on their heads. My father's got a real nasty girl (who is now on her own thanks to a managuense) and shes got a little bump like that one does.

I reckon you might even find some evidence to back that up with a google image search for "female convict cichlid".

Always the possibility of being wrong... but if I were a betting man, I'd say female.
 
I found a website (wetwebmedia.com) that you can email and a very experienced guy emails you back (marine biologist, answers questions about the hobby daily, etc) I asked if the orange specks determine sex, and he firmly said no, "Look at the genital papillae; on males, this is longer and more pointed.
Females don't tend to be aggressive, but I'm sure it happens." basically the only 100% way to sex a convict is using this method, and this convict has a pointy papilla, I still think it is a male.
 
After closer inspection, and comparing better pictures I found, it is in fact a female, you guys win, I lose....still no idea why she is so big..and aggressive...and killed a male convict?
 
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