Yet another noob needs help sexing JD's...

[derekj032]

I have tried to do this without asking for help, even with all the resources online I cannot be certain of the sexes of my new JD's. They are both about 4.5 inches long and seem like a pair because they are always together, following each other around... They are pretty much 99% of the time with each other, it is rare to see them separated in the tank
I think the first one is female because of the blue gill plate, but it has a lot of color on the body as well so I'm not sure....here is a pic

another pic of the first one... Sorry for the bad QUALITY

This next one has no blue on the gill plates, and the red top fin but very little color on the rest of the body.

 

[vaine111]

first shot looks female.

 

[Citrinellus]

Could you get a better picture of the first one?

 

[all_or_nothin]

I think the first ones female and i think the second looks like male because it has no blue in the jaw but it doesnt have alot of spangles... so idk

 

[bluehairman]

They both show traits of male and female JD's.

But judging from the looks of the anal fin, the top one is male and the bottom one is female.
but the first picture is hard to tell because of the angle.
Otherwise I think you have 2 females.

And both show most color around the face, which also represents two females.

 

[vaine111]

anal fins don't have a say so in sexing JD's. you have a female(pic1) and a male(pic2).

 

[bluehairman]

More pointed fins vs. rounded fins?
I do believe that's the only way to tell with a fish as young as these....

 

[vaine111]

here's my female. she has a pointy anal fin which made me think she was a male. till she laid eggs with a male EBJD. I always went by males have pointier anal fins then females, but as you can see i was wrong. the blue spots on the gill plates is the for sure way to tell. females spots will be blotchy like they are all on top of each other. and males, none of the spots on the plate will touch each other and sometimes they have none there.

 

[bluehairman]

Okay, but you can't just say because your one female has a pointy anal fin, that it completely rules it out for every other fish. Have you looked at the dorsal fin as well?

I think these fish are too small to really be certain yet, but you probably have 1 male and 1 female. And that's all you really need to know...
And after taking a look at the dorsal fins the top one is probably female, and the bottom one is probably male.

I think males take longer to develop color (correct me?) which could represent that the bottom is male as well...