# Sex confusion



## ritzgirl34 (Jan 20, 2005)

I got 4 "red zebras" today. Some sites are saying that the males are blue, and a couple I have found are saying that there are some males these days that are yellow/orange/red. What is the truth?


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## Lisachromis (Jan 19, 2005)

No confusion here. The species you are referring to is called Pseudotropheus estherae. In the majority of that species in the wild, the males are blue and the females are a red/orange colour. There are a few individual males that were red. When this was discovered, people kept breeding the red males to the red females to make sure all the fry were red (hence the name red x red zebras). So to let you know, some males are blue and some are red. Personally, I prefer the blue males and red females. You can even sex the fry as soon as they are released.


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## ritzgirl34 (Jan 20, 2005)

So, is there a way to tell if any of mine are males? Do I need to take pics for you?


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## Lisachromis (Jan 19, 2005)

Generally speaking, red males have more egg spots on the anal fin than the females have. A pic would help.


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## ritzgirl34 (Jan 20, 2005)

Sorry this pic is so blurry, I haven't quite mastered photographing fish 

There are 3 others, but this is the one with the most prominent egg spots, so if this isn't male, the others more than likely aren't either.


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## Lisachromis (Jan 19, 2005)

Well..I see 5 egg spots. Odds are good it's a male, but I can't say for sure. I've seen some females with as many. I guess you may have to wait and see who holds eggs


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## joe kool (Jan 24, 2005)

It's best to try and "vent" them that young. some red females have a ton of "egg spots" too although they are usually smaller in diameter and less vibrant than the egg spots on the males. 

to vent them, net them up and with a wet hand (perfreable coated in "slime coat" or some other fish protectant type product) hold the fish upside down and look at the anus and vent (vent is closer to the anal fin) in females the vent is "usually"  bigger than the anus ... males are about the same size. 

hope that helps

:mrgreen:


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