Male or female Honey Gourami

[Helen Price]

Hello all, 

This is my first time fish owning.  I have read lots about the subject and how the gender of Honey Gourami is established but some info can be conflicting.  I have a pair.  I believe the one with darker red is male.  The lighter colour doesn't have the obvious 'extra' triangle shape behind the stomach to identify ovaries.  Maybe they are not totally obvious in all females?  I have had them a month now.  All quiet and calm up until the last few days.  The drker red one seems to pay more attention to the lighter one and uses the feelers more.  Nothing violent or too much. I have noticed a black line appearing the whole length along the body on the lighter yellow one.  Back to what I have read.... do you think I have a female that is developing a maturity black line (unless they should be born with it??) or a male that has developed the line due to stress or being subdominant?

Thanks for your time. Helen 

[Tlindsey]

On 10/9/2024 at 7:07 AM, Helen Price said:

Hello all, 

This is my first time fish owning.  I have read lots about the subject and how the gender of Honey Gourami is established but some info can be conflicting.  I have a pair.  I believe the one with darker red is male.  The lighter colour doesn't have the obvious 'extra' triangle shape behind the stomach to identify ovaries.  Maybe they are not totally obvious in all females?  I have had them a month now.  All quiet and calm up until the last few days.  The drker red one seems to pay more attention to the lighter one and uses the feelers more.  Nothing violent or too much. I have noticed a black line appearing the whole length along the body on the lighter yellow one.  Back to what I have read.... do you think I have a female that is developing a maturity black line (unless they should be born with it??) or a male that has developed the line due to stress or being subdominant?

Thanks for your time. Helen 

Welcome to the forum 

Hopefully the link below will help until other experienced members chimehttps://forum.aquariumcoop.com/topic/40467-sexing-honey-gourami-help/

 

 

[TOtrees]

I'm not a honey gourami expert, but I've owned them. I found fin shape to not be all that helpful in sexing. And you're right to be suspicious of coloration, since the relationship between the two fish will influence that. Eg a dominant and sub male might look the same as a male and female. 

That being said, I do think you have a female in the first few pics, and a male in the last pics. 

The amount of contrast between light and dark yellow, and between yellows vs oranges is striking in the male. And the deep belly and dark midline support the first one being female.

So it's not about whether the second fish is male or not, I'd be very confident there. The question is whether the first one is female or male. 

Behaviorally, the male attending to the female with his 'feelers' is also consistent with the first one being female. 

[Helen Price]

On 10/9/2024 at 4:55 PM, TOtrees said:

I'm not a honey gourami expert, but I've owned them. I found fin shape to not be all that helpful in sexing. And you're right to be suspicious of coloration, since the relationship between the two fish will influence that. Eg a dominant and sub male might look the same as a male and female. 

That being said, I do think you have a female in the first few pics, and a male in the last pics. 

The amount of contrast between light and dark yellow, and between yellows vs oranges is striking in the male. And the deep belly and dark midline support the first one being female.

So it's not about whether the second fish is male or not, I'd be very confident there. The question is whether the first one is female or male. 

Behaviorally, the male attending to the female with 

Brilliant.   Thank you for reply.  I did initially think they were both males but now think the same as you that one is female. 

[Helen Price]

If it is a male female pair, should I get another female?  I do not want to go down the route of separating or breeding.  I do not have another tank to deal with this.  I also do not want a male harassing a single female.   Can anyone confirm if there is a breeding window whereby the male is interested in breeding or is it pretty much an ongoing thing?

[TOtrees]

There's a lot that comes down to the temperament of each individual here, whether they are 2m or 1m+1f. Honey gourami are pretty tolerant/social, and if I had to make a bet one way or the other I'd say you're likely going to be fine. But that's not a guarantee. Personally, I'd take a wait and see approach, ie don't make changes unless you see behavior that requires changes. 

That's not something that's true for most other gouramis, at least not the common community tank ones like dwarf gourami or bettas (closely related). 

[Helen Price]

That's a great sensible approach.  I shall observe and not try to fix what is not broken.