Endler Sexing

[ADMWNDSR83]

I bought two endlers today, which I thought were male and female due to the difference in the tail.  However, now that I'm looking a bit more closely, I'm wondering if they are simply different strains, and I got both males.  It would certainly make breeding more difficult if that were the case!  Can someone shed light on if I made that mistake?  Sorry, the pics aren't great. 

[JackBinimbul]

Definitely both male.  The top one is a cobra, the bottom one is a black bar.  The cobras are guaranteed to be K class. That is; bred with guppies for coloration.  The black bar looks to be P class.  Which is assumed "pure", but no proof.  The females are much larger and very drab looking.  Mostly just silver.  They are also plump.

[ADMWNDSR83]

Thanks!  Looks like another trip to the store tomorrow to "female hunt."  

[lefty o]

agree with both are males. the females get very little color to them.

[Taco Playz]

Females have hardly any color and in my experience they are very hard to find I don’t know why.

[Colu]

Male endlers have a gonopodium point anal fin

[shkote]

Here is an example of a female Endler

 

 

[JackBinimbul]

You are unlikely to find females at a physical store.  They are not often carried as they are not showy.  They are also so gender dimorphic that people often don't think they are even the same species.  Here is an example of how dramatically different they look:

 

You'd be better off ordering breeding pairs online.  Keep in mind that females should outnumber males by about 3:1.  The males will relentlessly chase and display for females and it can be exhausting for them, especially if they are gravid.

[Ken Burke]

I have a hard time finding female endlers.  Good luck.🍀 

[ADMWNDSR83]

I'm not planning on selling, so I'm considering getting a few female guppies and doing some breeding experimentation to see what pops out!

[ADMWNDSR83]

Today begins the great experiment!!!  After buying two male endlers (one black bar and one cobra), I made the decision to do some genetics experimentation.  Today, I took advantage of a buy three get one sale at a LFS and got 4 assorted female guppies.  It looks like one is a halfblack, maybe one cobra, maybe a tequila sunrise, and one other yellow that I'm not entirely sure of.  Excited to see what the grand design turns out.

[JackBinimbul]

No offense, but if you're not selling, do you have a plan for the literally hundreds of fish you're going to end up with in a month?  Livebearers are prolific breeders and a large number of the young survive filial predation.  A single female gives birth to an average of 30-60 fry at a time (but 200 is possible) and they do so every 30 days.

If you have a plan in place, have fun!  But be ready for an onslaught and have an additional plan to prevent unethical inbreeding. 

[ADMWNDSR83]

A great question.  I do have some buyers lined up, just not at as high of a price, depending on how they look once they arrive.  Those that don't look acceptable will likely become fodder in some predator tanks I have access to (That was a great thread while it lasted!)

[Fonske]

6 hours ago, ADMWNDSR83 said:

Excited to see what the grand design turns out.

It's a lot of fun and anticipation to see what the babies look like :) I would make sure to know exactly who mated with whom and who their kids are, just in case something spectacular pops out :)