Ridiculous Question About Endlers!

[lisa2701]

Hi everyone,

Ok so I am kinda really embarrassed to even ask this but I am new to fish and really starting to question something.

I have 6 male Endler guppies (hybrids I suspect) which I bought from a store. So, there is one Endler which is larger than the rest, and got a lot less colour, BUT it still DOES have colour but has a lot of silver on the body. So all the other fish have been pestering the living day lights out of this poor soul, displaying to it and chasing it etc, and I've noticed today it has 'a belly' on it that the others dont have, its just a slightly different shape . Is it even remotely possible that its female but has colour??

Ok, you can stop now .... but you just never know with these things unless you ask eh?

 

[daz4321]

check their anal fins as in picture

 

[lisa2701]

Ok I think it IS male but it won't sit still for even a second to give me a good look, but I am pretty sure its male. I definitely think its got guppy in it very recently in the line so maybe that explains the shape?

 

[lisa2701]

Can someone confirm either way the sex of this endler guppy? I think he's male but I've had to put him in a breeders net as he's getting harassed/picked on something silly by the other males and hes now unwell.

i know the picture is horrific quality but I can't get a decent pic of him out with the breeders net and of course the net blocks the picture so.... my apologise

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

It could actually be a female, the anal fin looks a little fan shaped in that picture. The male anal fin is shaped kind of like a stick seeing as it's his *ahem* "member"

The picture daz posted above shows it really well. Males will kind of "wag it about" (typical )...

 

[lisa2701]

It could actually be a female, the anal fin looks a little fan shaped in that picture. The male anal fin is shaped kind of like a stick seeing as it's his *ahem* "member"

The picture daz posted above shows it really well. Males will kind of "wag it about" (typical )...

Yeah the picture Daz posted is very clear isn't it. I can't make up my mind when looking at it as it pretty much keeps its anal fin clamped to its body most of the time (at least when i'm looking at it). Its quite a shy fish and doesn't like me peering in at it. Like you said that first pic looks like its female, and given the behaviours of the other fish towards it, maybe it is?

What am I going to do with a single female. Oh dear. I will keep it in the breeders net for now, until I can work out what to do.

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

If it is a female I'd say to take it back to the LFS or try to rehome it with someone you know who keeps fish.

You'll need to get a better pic to be sure Sorry!!

 

[lisa2701]

Yeah this pic isn't great. I will see what I can do and if I get one i'll post it.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

I think I see a gonopodium and anal fin, but its hard to tell if my brain is filling in the blurriness. I've also not seen females with color on the bodies... but that could be my limited exposure? No idea.

 

[lisa2701]

I will try get a better look myself or a better picture as soon as I can. IF he is male, what would cause the other fish to chase and pester him so much?

 

[lisa2701]

He's male!! I just seen him flick his err anal fin like the boys do Sorry I'm new to fish and don't know the scientific name for it. . SO.... back to the why is he being pestered/bullied question then?

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Well, I have guppies who do about the same behavior. I have a male only tank and my males tend to be drawn to display most for the biggest male (who was the latest bloomer and thus has the most female look about him).

He's male!! I just seen him flick his err anal fin like the boys do Sorry I'm new to fish and don't know the scientific name for it.

I go with "boy bits" personally. His boy bits are called a gonopodium and the anal fin is the fin in front of it.

 

[lisa2701]

Well, I have guppies who do about the same behavior. I have a male only tank and my males tend to be drawn to display most for the biggest male (who was the latest bloomer and thus has the most female look about him).

He's male!! I just seen him flick his err anal fin like the boys do Sorry I'm new to fish and don't know the scientific name for it.

I go with "boy bits" personally. His boy bits are called a gonopodium and the anal fin is the fin in front of it.

Maybe thats all it is then, the fact he has such little colour and is the biggest in the tank they just like to try to impress him. That said the reason I decided on the breeder net is that last night they seemed to be getting rough with him Not sure what to do. If it doesn't calm down I might see if a friend of mines will take him.

You know...as a mother of a young child "boy bits" REALLY should have came to mind when trying to find the right words

 

[*pete*]

Made me no end, great thread.

 

[lisa2701]

Made me no end, great thread.

Glad I could brighten your day

Sadly I lost him over night, not sure why. Quite sad