How to distinguish a female from a male scalar in an aquarium?

Few know how to distinguish a female from a male scalar in an aquarium, although in fact it can be done very simply. It is important to be able to distinguish between the sex of fish, because without this it is impossible to properly plant and maintain them in the aquarium.

What is the difference between females and males?

Like many other fish species, this family also has representatives of both sexes with their own characteristics. When breeding fish, it should be borne in mind that the female and female male scales have a minor difference, until they grow to about 9-10 months. Only after this it becomes clear that the male dorsal fin is much more developed than in females. In addition, a lot more strips are visible on the posterior part of the fin .

The difference between the female and the male of the scalar is also in the frontal part of the head, since in the male it is convex, and in the female, on the contrary, it is concave.

Determining the sex of the scalar

Many owners of aquarium fish are wondering how to distinguish a female from a male scalar, as this is very important for breeding them. The definition of sex for a beginner at first is not such a simple task, because in the absence of experience and attention to establish their sex identity is almost impossible . And an experienced aquarist will cope with the task without difficulty.

It is very difficult to do this if the fish have not yet reached their sexual maturity. However, both sexes have certain peculiarities, according to which their sex can be determined.

Features of the reproductive organs of fish

Scalari fish are considered to be attractive and unusual inhabitants of the aquarium. How to distinguish a female from a male, absolutely every owner of these amazing creatures should know. It is necessary to wait until the individuals grow up a little and reach puberty, since after that they need a certain care.

To determine what kind of scalar male, and what - female, you need to examine their genitals. As soon as the fish becomes an adult, a small tube starts to appear near the anus: the female has the ovipositor, and the male has the seminal duct. The genitals are located behind the ventral paired fins, and they become more prominent during spawning. To better examine the genitalia of the fish, it is necessary to transplant it into a separate aquarium .

Determine the sex of fish can and form of the genitals. In males, the ovule has the shape of a pointed, narrow tube that looks like the tip of a pencil. The female ovipositor has a cylindrical and more rounded shape.

Differences in body shape

If you are concerned with the question of how to distinguish a female from a male scalar, then it is necessary to inspect the body of the fish. It is necessary to pay attention to a protruding outgrowth on the forehead of males. This makes his forehead noticeably larger and more expressive. The adipose growth becomes more noticeable in adult individuals, but the first signs become noticeable already at an early stage of development .

In addition, it is very important to pay attention to the smaller size and much more rounded body shapes in females. If you need to purchase several pairs of fish for further breeding, it is important to pick a pair of small and a couple of large individuals.

Differences in the behavior of the sexes

Many wonder how to distinguish a female from a male scalar, based on the behavior of fish. During the breeding season, scalars, which mostly lead a gregarious lifestyle, choose only one partner for themselves and create couples. Identify the already formed "family" can even beginner. The couple keeps separate and looks for the most suitable place for throwing eggs.

By their nature these amazing aquarium fish are monogamous. The loss of a partner as a result of separation from him or death is a tremendous stress for the fish, which they often can not survive. Scalarians can injure themselves by hitting the walls of the aquarium or objects located in it, which leads to their death. That's why you can choose partners for fish, but do not destroy the already formed pairs.

Determination of sex during spawning

To accurately determine the sex of the scalar during spawning, it is necessary to set a group of several sexually mature individuals in a separate aquarium. When purchasing fish, it is best to buy 4-6 young specimens at once and settle them together. However, you need to select a capacious large aquarium, so that the scalars feel comfortable. Selecting fish, it is desirable to acquire several smaller and larger individuals, as this will increase the likelihood of acquiring scalars of different sex, and hence the subsequent formation of spawning pairs.

To determine the sex of fish, you need to follow the behavior of the spawning individuals. When they reach puberty, they will start forming pairs on their own, to then spawn. From this time, you need to closely monitor the behavior of fish, as this will not only determine their sex identity, but also to understand exactly how they are distributed into pairs.

However, it must be remembered that individuals of the same sex can also form pairs, naturally, they will not have offspring. Sometimes the spawning couples show signs of attention, which can be affectionate and touching or somewhat aggressive.

With close observation, you can see that the female is spawning, but it will take a long time to hold the aquarium, so as not to miss the moment.

It is worth noting that the older the scalar becomes, the easier it is to determine its gender, since at a more mature age the sexual organs descend lower, which makes it possible to examine them well.

The spawning process

Often, the scalars begin to lay eggs in the afternoon, towards evening. The entire spawning process takes quite a bit of time and lasts about 1.5 hours. At this time, the female is almost tightly pressed to the surface of the aquarium and eggs in regular rows. The male at the same time repeats all the movements of his partner and thereby fertilizes the eggs. It is important to know when spawning a scalar, how to distinguish a female from a male. Photo of fish will allow for a closer look at gender differences.

Given the rapid collection and transfer of eggs to another vessel, the scalars can spawn every 2 weeks. They can do this in a common aquarium, however, for the successful rearing of offspring, it is important to provide them with a separate free space. It is necessary to do this in order to preserve the clutch from encroachments of other inhabitants of the aquarium, since there is no guarantee that the spawning couple will be able to provide the required protection for the clutch. In addition, if the larvae and fry live in a common aquarium, then it will be almost impossible to keep them.

In order to avoid infecting fry with various kinds of diseases, certain drugs must be added to the water, which will help to destroy all fungi and bacteria. It is important to remember that caviar needs constant access to oxygen, which is why it should be placed a short distance from the aerator, but in such a way that air bubbles do not fall on it.