OK, my two Bowfin are now about 6-7 months old. One is almost 9 inches while the other is about 7 inches. Is there a reliable way of determining sex? Or are they still too small/young?
Dean
Sexing Bowfin
Started by
Guest_dmarkley_*
, Jan 24 2007 09:28 AM
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#2
Guest_Brooklamprey_*
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Posted 24 January 2007 - 10:23 AM
OK, my two Bowfin are now about 6-7 months old. One is almost 9 inches while the other is about 7 inches. Is there a reliable way of determining sex? Or are they still too small/young?
Dean
I would say those are still a bit too young to reliably sex yet..
#3
Guest_choupique_*
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Posted 24 January 2007 - 11:18 AM
Things to watch for: Greenish to blue color on all the bottom fins, male. Halo on eye spot disappears, and the black spot smudges and blurs into the markings on the tail and body, female. I have never seen females get the green to green blue colors on the bottom fins, or a male loose the halo of orange or yellow around the eye spot quickly followed by the black part of the spot becoming obscure.
I have had small males have the halo become so faint it was barely noticable, but the spot was still very distinct.
I have had small males have the halo become so faint it was barely noticable, but the spot was still very distinct.
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#6
Guest_E_americanus_*
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Posted 16 February 2007 - 12:35 AM
wow! how does that bowfin get along with the gator gar? nice sized specimens in both cases 
the general characteristics mentioned in the above posts for male and female bowfin are correct. and at around 7-8" you can sometimes start to see the almost fluorescent green on the paired fins. my current bowfin is about 8-9" and shows this quite distinctly.
i created a diagram for the class i taught several years ago showing some of the sexual dimorphism in bowfin:
anyone else currently keeping bowfin? ...and would like to share some images?--
--solomon
the general characteristics mentioned in the above posts for male and female bowfin are correct. and at around 7-8" you can sometimes start to see the almost fluorescent green on the paired fins. my current bowfin is about 8-9" and shows this quite distinctly.
i created a diagram for the class i taught several years ago showing some of the sexual dimorphism in bowfin:
anyone else currently keeping bowfin? ...and would like to share some images?--
--solomon
#7
Guest_choupique_*
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Posted 01 March 2007 - 12:47 AM
Been away for a while.
Bowfin and gar have always gotten along well for me. Generally gar use the upper levels, and bowfin the lower. The only problem is aggresivly feeding gars slashing into the bowfin.
I have more troubles with my biggest male bowfin. He is not willing to share the tank with the other male. I have a trio in another tank, but they are smaller. The bowfin totally ignore the gar, and the gar the bowfin in most cases. The bowfin cause no damage to gar when they screw up and nail one on accident, but the inverse is not so pretty sometimes. Shredded tail fins heal, I just worry about an eye getting injured.
Other than the territorial male I have in that tank, which is not the norm from my experience, gar and bowfin are quite peaceful. I keep pickerel with small gar, but you have to watch the gar don't tear the softer bodied pickerel in half at night mistaking it for a smaller food item. Sunfish work well too, but I have had overly aggressive sunfish take the fins down on gar and bowfin. The same happens with cichlids. Best to match the sunfish to the gar or bowfin, big enough not to get eaten, but small enough they fear the bigger gar and bowfin.
Bowfin and gar have always gotten along well for me. Generally gar use the upper levels, and bowfin the lower. The only problem is aggresivly feeding gars slashing into the bowfin.
I have more troubles with my biggest male bowfin. He is not willing to share the tank with the other male. I have a trio in another tank, but they are smaller. The bowfin totally ignore the gar, and the gar the bowfin in most cases. The bowfin cause no damage to gar when they screw up and nail one on accident, but the inverse is not so pretty sometimes. Shredded tail fins heal, I just worry about an eye getting injured.
Other than the territorial male I have in that tank, which is not the norm from my experience, gar and bowfin are quite peaceful. I keep pickerel with small gar, but you have to watch the gar don't tear the softer bodied pickerel in half at night mistaking it for a smaller food item. Sunfish work well too, but I have had overly aggressive sunfish take the fins down on gar and bowfin. The same happens with cichlids. Best to match the sunfish to the gar or bowfin, big enough not to get eaten, but small enough they fear the bigger gar and bowfin.
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