Butterfly Rams

[Katchan]

I have 4 wonderful butterfly ram and I'm wondering how the goodness gracious do you tell them apart heres what I've heard or red

Older males have trailing finage from the top of the dorsal and the top of the caudual fin's

when the black spot is lighter on female you can see blueish scales where the dot would be , on males this stays black/grey buy they may have blueish around or behind the dot.

females have a larger yellow/orange belly - how much bigger they all look the same to me

can anyone please clear up whats crap and whats truth and tell me the easiest or surest way to determine their sex

Katchan

 

[boxman]

I have a pair of rams and I can confirm the male has a taller, more spikey top fin and the female has a reddy orange belly.

I can't comment on the other things.

Hope that helps. Pete

 

[Katchan]

the male has a taller, more spikey top fin and the female has a reddy orange belly.

Spikey on the front or back of the dorsal?

Does anybody have or is able to direct me to a pic?

Katchan

 

[boxman]

Can't find pictures I'm afraid.

Front of the dorsal is a tall black raised part (on mine at least).

 

[Annastasia]

If you look in Lizard's post, here, you can see she has pictures of both male and female rams that show the differences pretty well.

 

[ramesses]

Forget about the dorsals and the size,my females even as juveniles had tall spikey dorsals so,don't even bother.
Females show a pink/yellowish/purple belly.Males on the other hand,will have an orange head ,later on becoming yellow and ending right behing the pectorals(clear colored)

 

[Katchan]

Annastasia they look like blue not butterflys rams to me

but heres some pics of all four of mine, any suggestions as to sex would be very helpful

A-

B-

C-

D-

Katchan

 

[Ben]

a=female
b=male
c=male
d=not sure

 

[dirtydogg]

the only way I've been completely sure is check the back of the dorsal fins. Males come to more of a point while females are rounded.

 

[Apache]

It may be worth noting here, that we are comparing "oranges" and "tangerines" here. Bolivian Rams versus German Blue Rams. The morphology is not completely synonomous (microgeophagus altispinosa vs. microgeophagus ramirezii)

G