MALE OR FEMALE? Vieja synspilum
- Thread starter Niladri
- Start date
The head profile looks female, but it is so young, it has probably had time to develop (if male)
Although the photos below are not melanura, they represent basic Vieja traits
Above a male V breidhori, note the head profile, below a fe,ale
Mature males have extensions of the dorsal and anal fin that extend beyond the caudal, and are more pointed.
Male A sajica above.
Female below, note the smaller extensions, and again head shape.
And the egg tube of females has to be large enough to pass eggs, sperm is microscopic.
Above a female breeding tube, note the opening, wide enough for eggs to pass
Below note the difference in the tubes of a pair of Alcolapia alcalicus.
Female right, male left
All or some of these traits are more or less common to all cichlids.
But none become obviously apparent until maturity, V melanura are usually not fully mature until between 2 and 3 years of age, and often hard to distinguish even then.
Yours looks to be female to me, but ......its not obvious.
Although the photos below are not melanura, they represent basic Vieja traits
Above a male V breidhori, note the head profile, below a fe,ale
Mature males have extensions of the dorsal and anal fin that extend beyond the caudal, and are more pointed.
Male A sajica above.
Female below, note the smaller extensions, and again head shape.
And the egg tube of females has to be large enough to pass eggs, sperm is microscopic.
Above a female breeding tube, note the opening, wide enough for eggs to pass
Below note the difference in the tubes of a pair of Alcolapia alcalicus.
Female right, male left
All or some of these traits are more or less common to all cichlids.
But none become obviously apparent until maturity, V melanura are usually not fully mature until between 2 and 3 years of age, and often hard to distinguish even then.
Yours looks to be female to me, but ......its not obvious.
