Help on identifying Apistogrammas

[carrots99]

Hello,
I am new to the forum and sorry if it is just another gender doubt post, but I am having trouble on identifying the gender on one of my appistos.

The one on the right was sold to me younger and as a female, but it seems to be straight forward that it is a male instead (just not sure if it is a Viejita or some other variance).

The one on the left is the one I am having trouble on identifying the gender and if it is an Agassizi Fire Red or some other sub-specie.

Can someone help me on this? Thanks

 

[Mike Wise]

The domestic color strain of A. macmasteri, not the true A. viejita, on the right in the photo is a male. This has been a naming problem for decades. The fish on the left is a female. Is it the domestic strain of Fire-red? It probably is. It's hard to identify the species when it shows no dark markings.

 

[carrots99]

Thank you for your help

 

[MacZ]

A. macmasteri "Gold" aka "Viejita II" on the left, a "standard" domestic A. macmasteri on the right.

 

[Mike Wise]

I think MacZ is incorrect with regard to the fish on the left. I have never seen an adult female A. macmasteri without a slightly serrated dorsal fin. Your fish's dorsal fin appears to be very even, like that seen on both sexes of A. agassizii.

 

[MacZ]

I did not sex the fish, just IDd it. The body is too high and the cluster of red and blue markings behind the eye is pointing towards the Gold strain.

The picture is also a bit misleading due to the light from behind and above making it hard to see everything.

 

[Frank Hättich]

Reducing the amount of red in the picture a bit, makes it obvious that the left fish is in fact a macmasteri "Gold":

 

[anewbie]

Don't you just hate digital photograph....

 

[Mike Wise]

I stand corrected. I just hate color enhanced fish ... and photos.