# Gold severum sexing



## akhater (Nov 3, 2004)

I bought today a pair of gold severum from the LFS, they were sold to me as Male/Female but I have my doubts I feel both of them are males although one is much bigger than the other.

can anyone help out ?

Large one 









full size link http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6127/591 ... 7534_o.jpg

Smaller one









full size link 
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5272/591 ... b4a4_o.jpg


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## Chromedome52 (Jul 25, 2009)

I agree with you, they are both males.


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## akhater (Nov 3, 2004)

Thanks *Chromedome52*
Are you at least 90% sure or just doubts lke mine?


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## Bamboo (Jan 12, 2011)

what are you going by , they still look pretty young ....


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## MonteSS (Dec 8, 2008)

Both Male.

Squigles in the face show male.

...Bill


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## akhater (Nov 3, 2004)

*Bamboo* young ? They are 45 and 30 cm big how big they grow?

*MonteSS* thanks for confirming


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## Bamboo (Jan 12, 2011)

They look small in the picture , apologies


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## DeadFishFloating (Oct 9, 2007)

Holy cow 45cm!!! That's pretty much 18 inches. Typically, Severums grow to 30cm/12inches. I've never, ever heard of a Severum over the 12 inch to 13 inch mark.

I would never have picked to "smaller" Severum as 30cm. It still has the body shape of a younger, smaller fish. Even the larger fish doesn't quite have the full bulk yet of a mature Severum.

I would love to see a photo of someone holding a 30cm/12inch ruler up to the tank as close as possible to inline with the larger Severum.

Oh, and I agree that they're both males.


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## akhater (Nov 3, 2004)

*Bamboo* no harm done i was just windering how big they grow

*DeadFishFloating* tx for the details, i might be wrong with my estimation i will get back with more accurate numbers today


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## akhater (Nov 3, 2004)

*DeadFishFloating* you are totally right, it seems i was comparing them to my other fish and my mind went totally off the hook  
Small one approx 15 cm, big one 27 cm


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## CMN (Mar 24, 2011)

MonteSS said:


> Both Male.
> 
> Squigles in the face show male.
> 
> ...Bill


Is this true throughout all severums?

Facial worming = male?


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## Chromedome52 (Jul 25, 2009)

Not all species, but most of those you'll see in the hobby are variants of _Heros efasciatus_, which is the one that has them. In the true _H. severus_, males have red spotted faces, and females are plain. I've not seen a lot of true _H. notatus_, the name is often applied incorrectly, but the verified specimens that I've seen are not that simple to sex; both have vertical lines on the face. The one that, so far as I know, is absent from the hobby is H. spurious, and the few shots I've seen are all females by the "squiggle standard".


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## peathenster (Oct 7, 2008)

H. efasciatus and H. sp. "rotkeil" (not described) can be sexed by facial markings.

H. severus can be sexed by the red lateral lines on the body (restricted to the lower half in females but extend up to the uppper midlateral line in males) and the brownish dots on gill plates (males have more). They generally lack significant facial marking.

Male (fin burn caused by long trip in a cooler):









Female:









H. notatus can be sexed by body markings. Females also have worm-like markings below the eyes, but not between the eyes (males do)

Male:









Female:


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## akhater (Nov 3, 2004)

So you all agree I hace 2 males?


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## peathenster (Oct 7, 2008)

Absolutely.

Sorry for derailing your thread. Won't happen again.


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## MonteSS (Dec 8, 2008)

Thanks Pete. Good info there.

.....Bill


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## akhater (Nov 3, 2004)

*peathenster* not at all, great info it is just that I got somehow lost in all this 

Thanks all


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