Salvini Gender?

[SMSChris]

I've been trying to figure out the sex of my Salvini for the past few days. I was almost sure it was a female but now I'm not so sure. Maybe you guys can help me out?

 

[Manu8__too]

Based on the dorsal spot, I'd say female. The colors looks bland/washed out, but I think that's because of the low image quality and not the true color of the fish.


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[SMSChris]

Yea the camera on my phone is crap. It's actually a much nicer color in person. But thanks for confirming what I thought. I suspect she's a female too because of the spot but I just wanted confirmation.

 

[JRT8783]

I'd say male since there's no spot on the gill plate

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[japbart]

I'd say male since there's no spot on the gill plate

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The spot on the gill plate is never an accurate way of sexing sals. The spot on the dorsal is a better way of sexing these fish.

To the OP:
Looks like a female to me.


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[fug202]

I agree that it is female. The spot on the operculum will likely come with age, although as japbart said, it is an inconsistent trait for sexing salvinis. Here is a sequence of shots of the same female salvini over a 7 months span. The middle pic is two months after the first pic - note the emergence of the spot on the gill and the increase on red on the belly and anal fin. The dorsal patch was always present, and got larger over time.

 

[cichlidfish]

Female IMO.


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[jiant2520]

Female.

 

[SMSChris]

Awesome so what I was thinking was correct. And she has been beginning to develop the little dot on the gill plate too. Thanks everyone!

 

[Carpintis Keeper]

female