I want your opinion - Female 'what'?

[Duffmanj]

What do you guys think?

Open to the answer being a male, too, I guess...

 

[Mike Wise]

I can't see many markings helpful for ID. From all I can see, about the only thing I can say is it is a member of the regani-lineage (regani-, alacrina- & macmasteri-groups) and possibly a male. Any information you got when you bought it would be helpful, as would size.

 

[Duffmanj]

Sure thing - was sold as a female hongsloi, I bought a pair (male and female).

The male I have is hongsloi (pic below), but been suspicious about what I actually have here. It would explain the male's behaviour (he hides away) and I've been trying to work out what's wrong with him for ages.

Anything I could give you which might help more? Desperate to solve the mystery! They don't fight at all - occasionally he displays but isn't very passionate about it.

 

[Mike Wise]

I could be A. hongsloi, a macmasteri-group species. Unlike most mac-group species, A. hongsloi doesn't have the zig-zag border on the lateral band. Instead is shows more even borders with a ladder-like pattern of light and dark scales in the central part. Based on size (compared to pencilfish), I'd guess that it's a female base on the rounded soft dorsal & anal fin tips. It's a domestic color enhanced strain, so females sometimes show male colors.

 

[Duffmanj]

Sorry mike - having a slow sunday - which pic are you referring to, first or second? The first is of the female second is of the male...

 

[Mike Wise]

The first might be a female. It's hard to say without seeing the fish or many more photos of it in different moods. Based on my guess of size and the shape of the fins, it a fair guess that it is a female. I'm also assuming its A. hongsloi. The second is a male.

 

[Duffmanj]

Thank you Mike. Working on getting some more pictures for you, but out of interest - would a female (of approximately the same age and of the same strain) ever get bigger than a male under the same circumstances, i.e. assuming they're both eating well/free of disease?

 

[Mike Wise]

Probably not, but it really depends on how the male and female were selected. In macmasteri-group species, just like humans, there males are usually larger and more robustly built than females. You might have gotten one of the smaller males and larger females.

 

[Duffmanj]

True! Figured it might be a bit like that.

A few more pictures below, perhaps they'll help!