Piling Sand At Hut Entrance

[MapleNeil]

One of my Hongsloi apistogrammas spends a lot of time in his coconut hut and has piled up sand in front of it, high enough that he has to go on his side to get in and out.
Is this normal for a male apisto?

 

[MacZ]

Seeing the same with my A. hongsloi. Are you sure it's the male? Here the female dug the entrance shut. Could also be that both work together.

 

[MapleNeil]

Its the one I think is a sleeper male. With the other definite males gone he is still quite shy and hasn't colored up much. Maybe he is too young. Or maybe its two females.

 

[MacZ]

Let's put it this way: Nothing unusual for the species in general.

 

[Mike Wise]

My guess it that your "sleeper male" is actually a female.

 

[MacZ]

My guess it that your "sleeper male" is actually a female.

Probably.

BUT: Actually, over the past few days my adult (and guaranteed) male has taken over the cave my female used to use and also dug the entrance a bit smaller. But he doesn't dig as much as the female did. She abandoned the cave a few days ago, he moved in since.


@MapleNeil, can you take a picture?

 

[MapleNeil]

Here's a picture of the coconut hut, and the two of them swimming around (flirting?) yesterday.

 

[MapleNeil]

Here's a picture of the coconut hut, and the two of them swimming around (flirting?) yesterday.

And here's a video of them

New video · Thursday, Feb 4, 2021

Tap to view!

photos.app.goo.gl

 

[yukondog]

Looks like you might have two females.

 

[MapleNeil]

Its quite a mystery. If you look at my hongsloi thread in the cichlid ID section, these are the two "supposed females" pictured there. One of them sometimes has more color.

 

[MapleNeil]

Can anyone else offer opinions on the sex of these two?

 

[MapleNeil]

My guess it that your "sleeper male" is actually a female.

Oh I just saw this now! Oh my goodness this is kind of depressing. And the two males died. Sigh.

 

[MapleNeil]

Does this picture of the two change anyone's mind? Perhaps gender fluid?

 

[MapleNeil]

I wonder if the male is not doing well and lost his color. Or can a female sometimes color up a bit like that?

 

[MacZ]

Does this picture of the two change anyone's mind? Perhaps gender fluid?

It doesn't take any change for me. I said it's a male from the start, and that picture just confirms it.
And no, it could just be relatively young. The colouration is consistent with the display colours mine showed.