Sexual dimorphism of pattern in ornates?

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Cohazard

Cohazard

Arapaima
MFK Member
Jul 13, 2005
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I've been wondering lately about the difference in pattern between my male and female ornate.

The female has beautiful striped pattern in her dorsal finlets, while the male has an equally nice, albeit spotted pattern on his dorsal fins, rather than stripes.

So the question comes to mind, is that a sexual dimorphism in ornatipinnis?

Please post pics of your MALE ornates, since they seem to be less common than females.

I want to see if the pattern variation is random, or if it's linked to gender.

TIA for your help :D
 
i can't seem to find good pics showing the dorsal finlets of my big male ornate. if i find some i'll post it.

this small one here is a male (old pic) and i'd say it has striped pattern. so i think its just natural pattern variation.

ornatipinnis4_019.JPG
 
There's a 15" ornate in marketplace that you might want to check out. Both for your collection and for your comparison of coloration by sex. (Sex is not posted, but I'm sure you can ask the seller.)
 
Thanks for the input guys, I appreciate it! :headbang2

INF, so far that male you posted goes along with what I have in my head.

It has a (for lack of a better term) 'blotched stripe' pattern that is very similar to the pattern on my male. The stripes on the females (both mine and the 15"er that Druu mentioned) have symetrical stripes, with a clear alternating pattern between yellow and black.

Need more pics bichir addicts! :D

Thanks for the heads up Druu! ;)
 
here's a male from primitivefish.com. think this is what you're referring to as alternating yellow/black?

Xornate.JPG


i'll post some more pics of mine and the female if i find any good pics.
 
Yeah that's exactly what I'm referring to. Chalk another one up to random genetics then.

The ornates with the blotched pattern on the dorsal fins seems to share a 'high yellow' trait in their color and pattern, with less black pigment on the head and pectoral fins.
 
Druu;1167244; said:
If you're right with this, we may have a way of sexing them as juvies or even babies. Good job!
Click to expand...

That's what I was hoping to do, but the second pic that INF posted establishes that the variation is random genetics rather than being linked to gender. :(
 
Its a good idea, but I would 100% believe that if it were that easy to sex them, then the method would have already been discovered and in use.
 
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