Is my Jack Dempsey a Male or Female?

[duanes]

If you mean by spangles, you mean spots? Spots are a often male trait in North and Central American cichlids, but an almost solid blue area in JDs (other color in other species), (often called a beard) is female.
Though the picks below are not JDs, these are often C Amer cichlid, typical gender traits
male, spots

female, solid red color (in motaguense)

Here is another example
male Nandopsis tetracanthus (spotty)

female (solid black)

and another example
male grammodes

female

in some other Central American cichlids the males have spots on the unpaired fins, like the male nicaraguans below

females have more solid colors in the unpaired fins
like the 2 females in the foreground below

 

[locolupe]

I got a a pair of Jacks, a Male who is huge and a female. check them out..

 

[locolupe]

Female is on the front left, check the beard, there is a smaller male behind her and the huge new Jack on the right

 

[MrsE88]

I guess I don't explain it right. Lol but yes, the beard/under the jaw line. The males have dull neutral color and the females have lots of blue/green.
I did a close up of the male and female above and also put mine in for comparison.
Top male, middle female shown above, bottom my "female".

I stand by mine being a female.

 

[duanes]

I do not see what are known as blue beards on either fish in pics 1 and 2.
The beard is a solid to semi solid patch covering much of the entire lower jaw.
Maybe a little in pic 3, but in 1 and 2, I don't see it.

 

[locolupe]

the beard is there in my female, in the second pic. I see it a little on the third picture, those two are definitely females, The first pic has hardly any blue blotches going down the jaw, that's why he is a male.

I do not see what are known as blue beards on either fish in pics 1 and 2.
The beard is a solid to semi solid patch covering much of the entire lower jaw.
Maybe a little in pic 3, but in 1 and 2, I don't see it.

 

[Fish on Fire]

If you mean by spangles, you mean spots? Spots are a often male trait in North and Central American cichlids, but an almost solid blue area in JDs (other color in other species), (often called a beard) is female.
Though the picks below are not JDs, these are often C Amer cichlid, typical gender traits
male, spots

female, solid red color (in motaguense)

Here is another example
male Nandopsis tetracanthus (spotty)

female (solid black)

and another example
male grammodes

female

in some other Central American cichlids the males have spots on the unpaired fins, like the male nicaraguans below

females have more solid colors in the unpaired fins
like the 2 females in the foreground below

Great examples and info.

 

[Bdawg2021]

I’m new to the forum. I ran into trying to sex my Jack Dempsey. I believe male just waiting for fins to get longer