# Convict male or female?



## Dusty30 (Jan 3, 2015)

I was wondering if someone could help me identify weither my convict is male or female. I am thinking female due to the size as I have had it for quite a while and it's still quite small. Any help would be appreciated as I am looking to get another one for breeding. 
It is a marble convict with a few black spots near the back and mostly white I would add s picture but not sure how.


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

Adding photos-
viewtopic.php?f=13&t=255434

I'm not sure how to sex the marbled variety


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## Dusty30 (Jan 3, 2015)

same so i figured i would ask here and see if someone would know. I added pics on google don't know how good they are as the were taken on my phone and the convict was moving around a lot. I can try to get better ones later on if these don't help.

Pic 1:
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipN ... GMPFKWgP1h

Pic 2:
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipP ... o0bAiYML-b

Pic 3:
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipN ... 5KNrHU3sHe


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

Photo links are not working for me


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## Sinister-Kisses (Jul 19, 2013)

Links aren't working, can't view the photos. But they're sexed the same way a regular convict or a pink convict is - orange/pink on the sides and belly is a female. No orange/pink on the sides and belly is a male.


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## Dusty30 (Jan 3, 2015)

Apparently I was wrong. While searching for info it turns out it's a calico convict. Do they display the same orange color on the sides and belly for females? I will try and find another way to post pics tomorrow morning.i am thinking it's male as I do not see any orange at all on it just white with the black spots.


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## Sinister-Kisses (Jul 19, 2013)

Marbled, calico, piebald...same fish, different names. Anything that is common in stores often has a million "common names". All convicts are sexed the same way, yes.


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## Dusty30 (Jan 3, 2015)

Ah wasn't sure as i have never seen a calico one before this is the first one i have ever seen. i posted some pics on another site i think they will work this time. There are 3 pics there. pretty much the best views i could get.

https://dustynu.smugmug.com/My-First-Ga ... -fZR2n9n/A


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## cage623 (Feb 2, 2008)

Little hard to tell with those photos, try and take more of a side view. How old is it? What size would you say it is? Still looks a little young.

Other ways of telling the sex is males are larger with a little more of a flat/dish shaped body with longer fins. The fins will extend to the end of the tail fin.

Females have squatter/round bodies will typically a shade of orange or pink on the belly as the age it will get more obvious especially when they breed.

Hope that helps. Otherwise just look up pictures of breeding pairs online and you should be able to tell the difference.


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## Dusty30 (Jan 3, 2015)

I would say it is 2" but hasn't grown any bigger have had it for over a year. I will try and get better pics and try and see if I can find pairs on net as well


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## cage623 (Feb 2, 2008)

At a year old even a female con should be over 2 inches. Should be more like 3.5 to 4. Any reason your fish would be stunted? Tank size? Water changes and conditions? Could also be why it is not showing good sexual maturity signs.


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## Dusty30 (Jan 3, 2015)

K I just used one of the rocks I had as a reference to get a real messurement and it is about 3.5 inches I have it in a 55 gal with 2 acei and a pleco. 
Water parameters 
Gh 180
Kh 120-180
No3 40
No2 0
Am 0
Ph 7-7.5 think it's closer to 7.5


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## cage623 (Feb 2, 2008)

Would say it is most likely a female. Better pictures would help us though.


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## Dusty30 (Jan 3, 2015)

I have added a few more photos that I could get of the convict but it likes to hide most of the time which makes it hard to get pics and when I do it's always moving so most came out blurry. The new ones added were the clearest side views I could get for now.

https://dustynu.smugmug.com/My-First-Ga ... -fZR2n9n/A


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## cage623 (Feb 2, 2008)

Much more sure now, female. The body shape and shorter fins match. Good luck and let us know if you need anything else.


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## Dusty30 (Jan 3, 2015)

do they always show the orange color on the belly or only when they want to mate? I saw her from another angle the other day and it kind of looked like she had a little tinge of orange on her belly or another color was visably different from the body but very subtle.


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## cage623 (Feb 2, 2008)

I can't say for calico variety, but both my standard and pink con females had always had the pinkish orange bellies. It would be more obvious with spawning. It does seem like because of how popular cons are that this characteristic is more washed out.


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