Developing Male Swordy or MASSIVE male platy?

[Angry_Platy]

I bought two fish today.....a white/red wag female swordy....VERY pregnant

As well as what I thought was a white/red wag male swordy....he doesn't have the sword yet however he is too big to be a platy and the anal fin has just folded up (it is there, as a males, but not as tight as a males).....I can see what may be the sword starting to develop but its hard to tell....I was comparing him to the big male platies in the tank below and he was way bigegr than them.....surely he must be a swordy

My question is....do the swords develop before or after the gonopodium folds up?

It makes no diff to me if he is a platy or swordy but a swordy would be nice

 

[Spilk]

Sometimes they can change sexes, but can be infertile I've heard. Does s/he have the more oval body of a female as well?

 

[Polardbear]

I have usually noticed the anal fin starting to fold up before the sword develops. It can drive you crazy sometimes trying to figure out which way they're going to go. I had a black one I thought was a female for a couple of months then I wasn't so sure because the anal fin sometimes was down and other times was up, finally it started developing a little stub of a sword and I had to rename him Reuben.

As far as sterile go, I believe that applies to older mature females that change sex. Slow maturing males (which is very common) are not usually sterile. In fact some breeders prefer the slower maturing males as they are usually larger and more attractive specimens.

 

[Angry_Platy]

He definitely looks male....the more I look the more I see a sword coming....thought I might be seing things....

Whatever the case...platy or swordy, infertile or fertile....he is beautiful

 

[Polardbear]

So lets see a picture! Sounds like a pretty color combination, especially with the wag fins. I've been trying to get a colony of blacks established but if that doesn't pan out I want to start working on some color variations that will include wags. I especially want to get some lyretail wags going.

 

[Angry_Platy]

I have a female lyretail wag swordy ATM....still very young....but SOOOO purdy....

She too has red/white on her body with long black finnage

 

[Polardbear]

I've got 2 red lyretail females and 1 green wag lyretail female. Don't you just love those tails? I've also got 2 red lyretail mails and 1 black lyretail male but they are pretty much useless for breeding because of the length of their gonpodiums. But I'm going to be crossing my girls with a marigold wag hi fin, a black reg fin and a red painted reg fin. I'd love to get the red painted look on a lyretail!

 

[Angry_Platy]

Ha ha about the gonopodium.....I didn't buy a lyretail male a while ago because I heard they can't breed.....Then I posted here and someone said their lyretail male had impregnated a female swordy....I can't remember who said it though....they also said they had a large gono....

I have not seen a male lyretail ever since....I'd be snapping him up if I ever did

I hope your breeding plans work out....they sound purdy....if they are anything like mine though they won't......uncooperative fish

 

[Polardbear]

Well just to make you want them more - here are my lyretail boys (the swordtail equivalent of "arm candy")

 

[Angry_Platy]

GAH!!! I just came back from the LFS....alas, no lyretail males....

They are beautiful polardbear Especially that mighty anal fin

I will try and get some decent pics of my lyretail girl as soon as I get around to recharging the camera bettery

THANKYOU for sharing the pics.....I'll be curious to see if he can give you fry....

 

[Polardbear]

I'm not holding my breath on it, but it won't be for lack of trying. I finally had to seperate the 3 lyretail males from my other 2 males. I really want babies out of the black male and the marigold wag hi fin but they are little gentlemen in comparison to the lyretail boys. Poor little guys were starting to hang out together in one corner while the lyretails got all the action. So the lyretail males moved to the 75 gallon with Spotty and her kids. The kids are only 3 months old so Miss Spotty is starting to look a little frazzled from all the attention she's getting. Fortunately her kids are starting to run interference for her! The new pineapple girl will be joining them as soon as she comes out of quarentine and I've got a couple of juveniles that are almost old enough to breed so I may add them just to see if I get anything.