Malawian Trout sexing

[tiger15]

I picked this trout cichlid from a batch of 2” juvies with somewhat dominant color (uniform inconspicuous markings relative to others). Now nearly 2 years later, it still has not colored up. It’s the largest Hap, about 9”, among other Haps in the tank that include couple male peacocks and a male eye biter. It’s a silvery fish with very faint eye spots in the anal fin. It has never shown male aggressive, nor female submissive, behavior towards other male Haps. I hope that it is a male but losing patient that it is. What do you think?

 

[james99]

I would think if it's that big, it should atleast have alittle blue in the face. I'm waiting on mine to show something too. It's probably around 7", but no sign of being male , but no one has bred with it.

 

[krichardson]

The Champs is my second most favorite of all African cichlids and that one looks like a female.Aside from the bland coloring it's dorsal and anal fins should be longer at their tips by now.In some males they extend past the tail fin.
.....found on the net,not mine.

 

[tiger15]

The finnage looks female to me. But can they transform at sexual maturity? Full grown male is said to reach 18 inch. Mine is only half the size.

Sam Borstein specimen has extraordinary long fins, exceeding most males I saw in the web. Just keep my hope alive.

 

[krichardson]

One of mine looked like that at around twelve inches.Outstanding fish that took a death leap when I relocated and was in the process of transferring my fish.

 

[RD.]

female

 

[Rafini]

I used to have a female around 8" when I sold her.
I too thought originally it was a male, she had a nice pale uniform blue green color but never reached that male coloration.

The females of this species are actually still quite nice looking, I have seen colored up males at about 6" in size.

I got mine years ago for $12 CAD, now I see them for 4-5 times the price lol