Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Examining the Genital Organs of Fish
• Method 2 of 3: Examining the fish's body shape
• Method 3 of 3: Watching Spawning Groups of Fish
• Tips
• Additional articles

Determining the sex of a scalar is by no means such an easy task as visual inspection of its fins. In fact, in the absence of experience and a tenacious look, it is almost impossible to establish the sex of the scalar. Moreover, this task becomes even more difficult if the fish are not yet at puberty. Nevertheless, the scalar has some characteristics by which it is possible to identify sex differences between males and females.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Examining the Genital Organs of Fish

1. 1 Wait for the scalars to mature. For scalars to mature and reach puberty, they need proper care and a sufficiently spacious aquarium. With proper care and optimal conditions, juveniles reach sexual maturity by 5-7 months. From this point on, the fish are already old enough for spawning and reproduction.
   • The optimal volume of water for each scalar should be about 25-40 liters. However, sometimes even with the best care in a spacious aquarium, some scalars reach puberty much later.
2. 2 Examine the genitals protruding from the underside of the fish's body in the anal area. As soon as the scalar becomes an adult, a small tube begins to protrude in the area of ​​the anus (the ovipositor in the female or the vas deferens in the male). The genitals protrude directly behind the paired pelvic fins. They become more noticeable when the rest of the fish in the aquarium are spawning.
   • The genitals of fish are very small, so you have to look closely to notice them. Sometimes for this purpose it is more convenient to catch the fish with a net or transplant it into a separate aquarium for a better view and inspection, but always remember that the fish must be handled with care.
3. 3 Determine the sex of the fish by the shape of the genitals. After you find the fish's penis, pay attention to its shape. The vas deferens in males (or genital papilla) has the shape of a narrow, pointed tube. Outwardly, it may resemble the tip of a sharpened pencil. The ovipositor of females is cylindrical and more rounded.
   • If you have a spawning adult pair of scalars, then young individuals can be added to it to facilitate identification of their gender. Such a move can induce young fish to show their genitals, and you can better see their sex.

Method 2 of 3: Examining the fish's body shape

1. 1 Note the protruding fatty build-up on the forehead in males. In male scalars, a high fat build-up is formed in the front of the forehead. This makes the forehead of the male noticeably larger and more expressive than that of the female. This feature becomes especially noticeable in adult fish, but the first signs of the formation of a fatty build-up on the forehead can sometimes be seen at an early stage in the life of the scalar.
   • This feature does not always allow us to accurately divide the fish into males and females. Some scalar breeds do not have a significant difference in the structure of the body of females and males.
2. 2 Note the smaller and somewhat rounded body shapes of the females. The body of a female angelfish may be more rounded than that of a male. If you want to purchase several pairs of scalars for further breeding, try to buy several small and several large fish. In this case, after the fish reach sexual maturity, you will have a better chance of finding several males and several females among them.
   • Also, in female scalars, the stripe running from the dorsal fin through the eye is usually more straight than in males.
3. 3 Examine the fish as they swim towards you. Sometimes the sex difference of fish can be noticed when they swim in your direction. The shape of the abdomen of females at this angle can be more rounded and wider than that of males. Try to observe the aquarium for a while and wait for each of your fish to swim up to the glass and turn the body in your direction. View the bellies of the fish from this angle.

Method 3 of 3: Watching Spawning Groups of Fish

1. 1 Plant a group of 4-6 scalar fish together. When purchasing a scalar for the first time, it is better to immediately buy 4-6 young fish and settle them together in one aquarium. But first of all, you need to make sure that there is enough room in the aquarium for all these fish. When choosing fish, consider buying a few smaller and a few larger ones. This will increase the chances of acquiring fish of different sexes and the subsequent formation of spawning pairs.
2. 2 Observe the behavior of the spawning fish. When the fish reach puberty (usually around 6-12 months of age), they will start to pair up for later spawning. From now on, start keeping a close eye on their behavior. Most likely, you will be able to not only determine the sex of each fish, but also understand how they were distributed in pairs.
   • Watch closely the behavior of the fish, but be aware that sometimes fish of the same sex also try to form a spawning pair, albeit unsuccessfully.
   • Sometimes spawning pairs of scalars "kiss" or grab each other's mouths. Sometimes these actions are affectionate and fleeting, and sometimes they are even a little aggressive (when the fish chase each other around the entire aquarium).
3. 3 Determine the sex of the fish based on how the fish are paired. When obvious pairs appear, it will be much easier for you to determine which of the fish is the male and which is the female. Despite the fact that this approach to determining the sex of fish cannot be considered the most effective, for all the inexpressiveness of the sexual characteristics of scalars, it is one of the most accurate.
   • With close observation of the fish, you can even notice how the female scalar lays eggs. However, always keep in mind that even the most experienced aquarists and scalar breeders sometimes struggle to determine the sex of a fish.

Tips

• The older the scalar, the easier it is to determine its sex, since with age, the genitals of these fish sink lower and allow them to be examined better.

Additional articles

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