male and female

[ferrybongo13]

how do you tell the differece in male and female?
I want to try and breed my fish...
any good books to read..?

[RustyNut]

With some species it is easy, and with others it can be quite difficult. Sometimes the boys and girls are different colors. Sometimes there is a size difference. Sometimes there is no obvious outward differences and the only way to know for sure is the VENT them. Venting is done on mature fish and is a direct examination of the genitalia. If you are looking at the fish upside down you will see the anus and another "hole" if the area is larger than the anus (different sizes) then its a girl if they are the same size then its a boy. Boys can also look V shaped on large specimens.

Oo = Girl
oo = Boy
>o = Boy

actual sizes may vary. A Jewler's Loup can help a lot.