Confirmation Of A Male Bristlenose Plec Needed?

[totally tropical]

I have just purchased 3 Bristlenose plecs from my local garden store - they are fully grown and straight from the wild. I asked for 2 females and a male for breeding purposes and 2 are definetly female with no bristles yet the male (if it is indeed a male) has just a few minor Bristles just visible to the eye - as it is fully grown, I would have expected really obvious large bristles as I know females can have some bristles also. Now, not sure if I have indeed 3 females.

None of the other Bristlenose plecs in the garden store tank really stood out as males, not to say there was not any others.

Does anyone have any other pointers as to identify a male Bristlenose plec? Thank you.

 

[indigoj]

Post some pics. You say full grown, how big are they?

Also VERY unlikely common bristlies were 'wild caught'

 

[totally tropical]

Post some pics. You say full grown, how big are they?

Also VERY unlikely common bristlies were 'wild caught'

Hi I will do my best to post a pic as the male rarely ventures out so please bear with me on this one! - they are sailfin Bristlenose plecs around 5-6cms. I have heard that they can grow up to 8cms so possibly not yet fully grown.

 

[xingumike]

at 5-6 cms they are nowhere near full grown.

sailfin bristlenose is a new one as well, if you mean longfinned then they are 100% not wild caught

 

[neilmcq]

Hi bud if it is a male bn then it can show what looks like stubble when its round about that size.but when it is fully grown,up to 10cm ish it will have a full beard of bristles and there will be no doubt. u prob need to get some pics up to try and id them as a sailfin is one breed and a bn is an other.if they are sailfins thy can reach 30cm..