Sexing Channa Aurantimaculata

Aqua_Predator

Feeder Fish
Dec 5, 2018
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Such great fishes u got there guys. I'm still having difficulties on identifying my auranti. I've posted questions also on another post yet later then i discovered this post and it was really informative. However, still need help.20181205_210339.jpg I just bought one recently, didnt got the chance to pick since i bought it online, and so it was picked randomly, at first i assumed it was a male, judging from its dorsal fin, comparring on what had been posted here, yet i will leave it up to you guys as the masters for a better judgement.
Best regards.
 

TomatoandEgg

Silver Tier VIP
MFK Member
Nov 2, 2017
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Too young. They all look female until they get to around 12 inches IMO.

Here’s a 12 inch male and 11.5inch female. Not so obvious which is which even at this stage where they’re beginning to come into sexual maturity.

261615B9-ED33-44C0-8C22-6F60C7D6D940.jpeg
 
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Aqua_Predator

Feeder Fish
Dec 5, 2018
3
0
1
28
Too young. They all look female until they get to around 12 inches IMO.

Here’s a 12 inch male and 11.5inch female. Not so obvious which is which even at this stage where they’re beginning to come into sexual maturity.

View attachment 1347541
Whoa!!! The yellow markings on the one bellow is remarkable! So firm and vibrant! A beautiful pair u got there...
I know right, when it first got here i thought mine was a male, but the blue pattern on the top of the dorsal still shows an uncertain pattern, perhaps at this stage mine is on, it is still so as you said.
Now, by viewing your picture, i still could not know for sure as to me it seems that dorsal fin are still quite similar, however the one you said to be male seem to have a wider pattern at the edge, comparred to the one bellow, tho the blue color may not yet be shown very clear. A much more clearer differences i noticed is on the shape of the head structures, the male seems to have a round structure and the female has a more "sharpened" to the edge/ narrowing head structure, am i right?

Thank you for the help, really appreciate it!
Cheers mate &
God bless the MFK's!
 

TomatoandEgg

Silver Tier VIP
MFK Member
Nov 2, 2017
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Beat in mind I’m only 90% sure they are a pair and not 2 males. They haven’t paired yet. At least not fully. They swim together and don’t attack one another though. The other 5 aurantis get attacked every now and then.

My male is thinner. Eats far less. Grows slower. Is more aggressive to the other fish. His dorsal fin is only slightly more blue than the females, not much difference. It is a bigger fin however. His head is from the side longer and shaped more like a torpedo or submarine.

The female is thicker in the body. Eats loads.Her fin is smaller and more uniform in height but it does increase in height from head to tail and when flared her fin is also quite tall. Looks like a male fin at times... Her head is when viewed from the side shorter and shaped more like the tip of a bullet. However other paired examples like DC’s don’t seem to have a female with such a short head as mine. My females head is about 1cm shorter than the males when measured from start of the dorsal to her nose.
 

Mazhar26

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Jun 12, 2016
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Beat in mind I’m only 90% sure they are a pair and not 2 males. They haven’t paired yet. At least not fully. They swim together and don’t attack one another though. The other 5 aurantis get attacked every now and then.

My male is thinner. Eats far less. Grows slower. Is more aggressive to the other fish. His dorsal fin is only slightly more blue than the females, not much difference. It is a bigger fin however. His head is from the side longer and shaped more like a torpedo or submarine.

The female is thicker in the body. Eats loads.Her fin is smaller and more uniform in height but it does increase in height from head to tail and when flared her fin is also quite tall. Looks like a male fin at times... Her head is when viewed from the side shorter and shaped more like the tip of a bullet. However other paired examples like DC’s don’t seem to have a female with such a short head as mine. My females head is about 1cm shorter than the males when measured from start of the dorsal to her nose.
No man , don't get confuse u have a male and female sure,,
 

Madou

Polypterus
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Nov 22, 2013
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Belgique

TomatoandEgg

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Nov 2, 2017
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but why haven't they started killing the other 5? i've had the tank between 15-20 for the past week! everyone is still so friendly!

B0D98A69-EB02-41FF-8E55-4B6F6B6326E1.jpeg
 
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Mazhar26

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Jun 12, 2016
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but why haven't they started killing the other 5? i've had the tank between 15-20 for the past week! everyone is still so friendly!

View attachment 1348020
They r not killing eachother cause they r together from beginning,They start killing, when summer starts and they start wrapping, they get mad at every other fish in tank,
 
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