# Fossochromis Rostratus, Male or Female?



## Matman1110 (Oct 13, 2011)

Here is my rostratus. Its about 3.5 inches and has a light golden sheen all over, but no other colors yet. Wondering if you guys can sex it at this size



















Thank you


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

No. If it is male it will get male colors and characteristics. If female will not change much. It could be male, or not.

Rostratus males will often be very shy with showing color in a mixed tank. Some people can get one to color up some, others not.


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## Narwhal72 (Sep 26, 2006)

You can sex the fish by "venting" it.

Net the fish out and hold it in wet hands. Flip it onto it's back so you can look at the vent area located just in front of the ventral fin. It helps to do it under bright light or use a flashlight.

You will see two dots. The anterior dot (closest to the head) is the anal pore. The posterior dot (closest to the tail) is the cloaca or genital duct.

If the posterior dot looks about twice the size or more in diameter as the anterior dot the fish is a female. If the dots look about the same size it is a male.

This is pretty easy to do with mouthbrooders once they are about 1-2" long. The reason for the difference is that mouthbrooders have very large eggs compared to egglayers and females have a consequently larger pore to pass the eggs through.

Fossorochromis are notoriously slow growing and take years to get to maturity so you could still be waiting a long time even with a 3.5" fish for a male to color up.

Andy


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## Matman1110 (Oct 13, 2011)

On the rostratus I'm seeing a bright metallic golden sheen especially on its gill plate and blaze line. Do females get this golden metallic like color or do they stay silver?


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## Sparrk (Oct 11, 2010)

from what I see, I would say it is a female, because of the roundish shape of her anal and dorsal fin.


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