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How to sex subordinate longears?


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#1 Betta132

Betta132
  • NANFA Guest
  • San Gabriel drainage area

Posted 28 May 2015 - 03:48 PM

I have a 65g sunfish tank I'm going to rearrange as soon as some wood finishes soaking. I need to figure out how many males I have, so I know how many nest spots I need to provide. 

 

Big%20male_zpstwsxf7ai.png

This is my big male. He's a bit more colorful in person, my cell phone does not like the tannins in the water. 

 

HALLO_zpssgov9c12.png

I'm not sure who's up front, but the one in the back is Rusty. Rusty has been tucked into that corner behind him, firmly defending it from everyone. I know corner-hiding is normally a bad sign, but there's another corner he could totally vanish into, so I don't think he's trying to get away. The big boy normally leaves him alone. I'm about 90% sure Rusty is a male, as he's fairly close to the big one in color.

 

I have four others. Three are a bit under 3" long, one is about 2". 

Little%20hump_zpsvmkol18v.png

Little%20hump%202_zpst59ewmdn.png

I think those two are males. 

 

 

Little%20ear%203_zps8gjenc3l.png

This one has a slight dorsal spot and may be part bluegill. I've found longear/bluegill hybrids in his river, so this one could be 1/4 bluegill or something.

 

Tiny%20ear%202_zpshyalkyii.png

Little one.

 

 

Big%20bright%20lonear_zpsvvihavlh.png

This is a sunny from a couple miles down the river, and I assume he's from more or less the same genetic stock. He's very plainly a male. Two things I notice (aside from the firework colors) are the hump on his head and the thick white edge on his ear. 

My biggest one has a thick ear edge, but no head hump. Rusty has a large head hump and thick ear edge. The two I think are males have small head humps, and the other two don't. Is that one way to sex longears? 

 

If not, is there any way to sex juvenile, subordinate longears?



#2 fishlvr

fishlvr
  • NANFA Guest
  • Savannah, GA

Posted 29 May 2015 - 03:48 PM

Look at the cloacas of the fish. You can tell the sex of any sunfish using this method, provided they are mature. As far as juveniles, I don't know if it's that obvious. I never checked any of my juvenile sunfish to see. I'll see if I can find the post I had a few years back that showed pics of the differences.
Steve Knight

Lower Ogeechee/Ogeechee Coastal Drainage

#3 fishlvr

fishlvr
  • NANFA Guest
  • Savannah, GA

Posted 29 May 2015 - 04:03 PM

http://forum.nanfa.o...92-vent-sexing/
Steve Knight

Lower Ogeechee/Ogeechee Coastal Drainage




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