Sexing Haitiensis

[Brandonclark88]

Was wondering if anyone could help me out here. Have a group of Haitiensis that this particular individual has grown twice as quick as its siblings and has always have a mainly white body so I always assumed it was a male. I know typically once they mature males will stay more white and females will become nearly all black. However, it has a pretty sizeable black blotch in the dorsal that you don't really see in males (from what I've seen anyway). Anybody out there good with sexing these that can give me a definitive sex on my little nasty? These guys came from chris Craig. Thanks!

 

[duanes]

The one in your photos looks like a female to me, the dark blotch in the dorsal is often an early indication of female.
Males dorsal is devoid of color.
When they are older it is easier to discern.
female

male

If there is only a female in the tank, without males around, some females will develop dominant, male type traits, like a steep profile and less dark color though.
The one below is the same female as the 1st photo, soon after I removed the male from the tank.

when the male was returned, her dark colors returned

 

[Brandonclark88]

Duanes thank you! You confirmed what I was thinking but was hoping wasn't the case lol. I've got the other 2 growouts from the same group in the setup and one has the same blotch and one lacks it. Have a small group I got from Gage Brady earlier this week and also have a group I'm picking up at the GCCA swap this weekend as well so it looks like I'll be on the hunt for a nice male growout instead of female for my current one

 

[duanes]

Having extra females is not a bad thing, just in case mating/spawning incident goes awry.
The gcca swap is a great place to get cichlids not often seen in LFSs.
My guess would be you're getting some from Pleco Pete??
He has great cichlids, at very reasonable rates. I received many of my grove outs from him.

 

[Brandonclark88]

Having extra females is not a bad thing, just in case mating/spawning incident goes awry.
The gcca swap is a great place to get cichlids not often seen in LFSs.
My guess would be you're getting some from Pleco Pete??
He has great cichlids, at very reasonable rates. I received many of my grove outs from him.

Yes sir. Received a handful of fish from him in the past and have never had any issues. Very reasonable too. Picking up some haits and some sajica from him

 

[Jhay3513]

About how big are they? When mine hit 2-2.5” the sex of the dominant male and female became a bit more obvious. My male started growing trailers and his fins started taking on that stereotypical black Nasty shape while my females fins are a little taller and more blunt on the ends. His end with a point. He gets a nice green tint too his fins when he’s displaying aggression or showing off for the girl and she will turn black here and there.

 

[Jhay3513]

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B75ECjQUyazWd3hXSy1lOUFRTjQ

Here’s an example of them in what I would call “breeding dress” (they did not spawn though)

 

[duanes]

After spawning, if the fry don't get constantly fed, they will start cannabalising their parents, usually the male first. They ate a gaping hole in my male, before I got a chance to move him.

I moved him to a tank that was painted black on all sides , and didn't have a light.
After the fry were moved, I put him back with the female, during the dark period, his color became dramatically lighter.

But his normal coloration return when put in a well lit tank.

 

[Jhay3513]

After spawning, if the fry don't get constantly fed, they will start cannabalising their parents, usually the male first. They ate a gaping hole in my male, before I got a chance to move him.

I moved him to a tank that was painted black on all sides , and didn't have a light.
After the fry were moved, I put him back with the female, during the dark period, his color became dramatically lighter.

But his normal coloration return when put in a well lit tank.

Wow!!!!!! Note taken. Haitiensis are definitely one of the more unique Species that I’ve kept. They behavioral changes as they grow keep me intrigued. I have some red minor tetras in with my group. They pay zero attention to them during the day and prey on them at night. Didn’t realize they were eating them until I saw them attack one with my own two eyes.