Apistogramma pandurini

[Poe]

Yesterday I bought a trio of pandurini and a trio of viejita II. I was waiting for the new fishes to come to the shop for a long time. Yesterday I was exciting until I found some problems.

First at all I´m not very happy with the election of pandurini individuals. I was looking at the tank in the shop for a long time and I couldnt see any female for sure. I was looking for a dark spot from the head to the belly as the pics in the krib. I was looking for anyone not so white or with poor coloration, but I couldn´t find a female for sure.
Finally I bought a big one and 2 small ones, expecting that at least one of them were a female.

I don´t think that all the fishes in the tank were males. The 2 small ones are smaller than the other one, but they are almost 2" size and fully colored. Beside the black spot in head and belly like nijsseni, how can I recognize a female.

Regards

 

[Neil]

At that size it should not be tough to tell them apart. Often the male will have a triangular black marking in the caudal peduncle (at the base of the tail fin). Males will be generally bluer and should lack the black leading edge of the ventral fin. Usually the marking in the middle of the body(lateral blotch) that can extend down to the belly and the mark on the cheek that can be thick, almost a blotch. Hope this helps.

 

[Poe]

Yes, I think it helps.
At least one of them, the small one have a black margin on ventral fines. I suppose is a female beside it doesn´t have a lateral black bloch yet.
I´ll cross my fingers

Regards

 

[apistodave]

Pandurini females vary widely in the side coloration. Some have the Black band some don't, some have a spot and some don't have anything--the audal peduncle spot and dark markings on the leading edge of the ventral fins are the best indicators. I have seen females with a band on one side and nothing on the other!