Sexing Apisto Borelli Opal

[FerrisCat]

Hi!

New to the group and Apistos! My local fish store has some opals but struggling to sex these two. They look quite juvenile but both look like males to me (from descriptions on line). Any help gratefully received

 

[Mike Wise]

Size?

 

[FerrisCat]

Larger of the two with more color on cheeks is about 3.5cms

 

[FerrisCat]

Size?

Larger one in the front of the shot is 3.5cms

 

[Mike Wise]

Still too small for me to accurately sex. If they are yours, give them some time to grow up and sex out. If you want to buy a pair from juvenile stock you could do as I do. I buy 6 or more juveniles. Statistically you will get a 96% guarantee of at least one of each sex - if the original pool of fish is 50/50. I always hedge my bet by buying 2 large, 2 medium and 2 small (but not smallest) fish. Expensive? Yes, but one can always sell those that you don't want.

 

[DaS54]

I would say, by my recent experience with sexing Opals as well, that bottom fish is 100% a male. My female only has very subtle value markings by the chin/ throat area, while the male, majority of time, is blue throughout the whole body, with yellow markings on the fins.

 

[Chromedome]

I magnified the photo and they look like steel blues to me, which are often sold as borelli opals. The cheeks have markings, but no red, just blue. Body shape is too elongate even for young borelli.

 

[Frank Hättich]

I magnified the photo and they look like steel blues to me, which are often sold as borelli opals. The cheeks have markings, but no red, just blue. Body shape is too elongate even for young borelli.

Among other things A. sp. Steel blue have a vertically extended caudal spot that is separate from the lateral band, these fish don't - they are 100% sure borellii.

 

[MacZ]

Have to agree with Frank, no way these are not A. borellii.

 

[KenL]

On the “steel blue”, used to see these a lot about 30 years ago.

Are the a real species or a hybrid? I only ever saw male ones. I only ever saw male rams back then too.

 

[anewbie]

On the “steel blue”, used to see these a lot about 30 years ago.

Are the a real species or a hybrid? I only ever saw male ones. I only ever saw male rams back then too.

The rumor is hybrid though i believe their origin is not well known. I still see them frequently being offered/sold under various names - borelli blue steel seems to be the newest name that pops up on places like ebay. I think i remember reading most (all?) females are sterile.

 

[Mike Wise]

The fish in question, like Frank wrote, "are 100% sure borellii". Steel-blue show rows of spots on the caudal fin and a lower dorsal fin on the male. Whether or not Steel-blue is a domestic strain or a hybrid is still unknown. We do know that the first specimens reproduced in Europe were a cross between Steel-blue males and females of one of the species in the caetei-complex (which species hasn't be ascertained).

 

[Chromedome]

They're still the skinniest borelli I've ever seen.