Ropefish gender

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dark_knights_99

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Nov 20, 2006
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Philippines
Hi, can anyone tell how to tell the gender of a ropefish and where is it located? Hope someone could provide pics and has anyone here sucessfuly bred this guys?
 
dark_knights_99;1996442; said:
Hi, can anyone tell how to tell the gender of a ropefish and where is it located? Hope someone could provide pics and has anyone here sucessfuly bred this guys?

I don't know but I look forward to reading what anyone who does know has to say!
 
Like all other memebers of the Polypterid family the males anal fin is aprox twice as wide
as the females and has a more pronounced muscular structure at the base-Anne

Reports of accidental captive breeding have been reported
 
beblondie;1996835; said:
Like all other memebers of the Polypterid family the males anal fin is aprox twice as wide
as the females and has a more pronounced muscular structure at the base-Anne

Reports of accidental captive breeding have been reported

I see, just like the bichirs. Well I saw on one website (forgot the link) about the rays of the ropes (dunno what are those) that male have 10-14 rays and female have less than 10 rays. Is this even true?
 
nope the only positive way to sex any polypterid is the anal fin-Anne
 
Britz, R. & Bartsch, P. 1998. On the reproduction and early development of Erpetoichthys calabaricus, Polypterus senegalus, and P. ornatipinnis (Actinopterygii: Polypteridae). Ichthyological Explorations of Freshwaters 9: 325-334.

I haven't read it myself, it's one of the few journals I can't access for free and it's not well archived, a copy costs 150 Euros. I know someone who is trying to get a copy and also to look at current research being done in Germany.


My two look exactly the same so they're the same sex but I'd have to look at more ropes to compare the size of the fin.

I've also heard that the coloration is different, but I've never seen that written in a source that I would consider reputable.
 
nope the only positive way to sex any polypterid is the anal fin-Anne
 
heheh I love Anne's sense of humor :D


But I agree, it's all in the anal fin. When you see a male next to a female and you look at the fins, it's fairly obvious.
 
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