hypancistrus sexing.

[charles101]

hi all,
can anyone give me an idiots guide to sexing hypans? just like any clear features that will distinguish one sex from another. i would love to get pics so you could all argue but they are very difficult to get. and that would most certainly start the whole L340/ L129 debate lol.
thanks all would quite like to have a bash at sexing them myself .

 

[Rabbit]

Odontodes are the easiest way, but they aren't always as apparent as needed, body shape females are an all over heavier looking fish.

 

[charles101]

thankyou rabbit ahh i see, from this i can make a wild guess as some are definatley "plumper" than others. would the males be larger though, or is this not true as i have 1 that has just made a cave his own and he/she is larger than the others, but not as plump as some.

 

[Rabbit]

A male will be a longer faster growing fish due to its dominance over the rest, and females from pectoral to pelvic fin's will be rounder.
Heap shape, ventral are other ways of doing it but get comfortable with these methods first

 

[charles101]

thankyou rabbit, makes sense! i am now certain they are of mixed sex. quite what ratio i will have to have a closer inspection.

 

[Rabbit]

You will read a lot that males will be the only ones to enter the caves in the hypancistrus family, but many members including myself have not found this to be true.
Males tend to spend more time in a cave and hang around but females will enter caves and under certain circumstances will remain there.

 

[hullfishman]

You will read a lot that males will be the only ones to enter the caves in the hypancistrus family, but many members including myself have not found this to be true.
Males tend to spend more time in a cave and hang around but females will enter caves and under certain circumstances will remain there.

i agree, i have a female L066 who sits in a cave facing out almost all the time, she only leaves to eat and spawn
dave

 

[Irene0100]

I have sometimes confused fat males with females especially if not the alpha male -who is hairy and easier to sex. sometimes hard to see the hairs but they show up well on flash photo

 

[charles101]

PHOTO??? of my hypans? a little optimistic dont you think lol flash you say...more like gone in a flash...