How to tell a female goldfish from a male?
Goldfish are recognized as traditional inhabitants of aquariums. Their aesthetics do not leave indifferent many aquarists. However, their maintenance and further breeding carries some difficulties - from the choice of individuals to determining their sex.
A bit of history
The goldfish belongs to an artificially bred species, is freshwater, belongs to the carp family, the class of ray-finned fish. In historical documents, the first mentions of goldfish are found in the 6th century BC. NS., so, China is considered the birthplace of fish. The most noble families preferred to have the image of these fish on their coats of arms.
Some breeds were elevated to the rank of sacred. The history of bet breeding dates back to the Ming dynasty.
Then in 1500 they started breeding in Korea, and in 1502 the goldfish conquered Japan, then Indonesia. A in the 17th century, she was brought to Europe and settled in the royal pools as an overseas miracle.
Changing its original appearance in the process of breeding new breeds, the goldfish has not lost the habits of crucian carp. She loves to dig soil, is unpretentious in food, prefers spaciousness in the aquarium and clean water.
At the moment, more than 300 species of goldfish are known, so the variations in color and structure of the body, tail and fins are very diverse. Goldfish can have either an ordinary tail, similar to the tail of the ancestor of this breed - crucian carp, or a double one. The most widely known are the Veil Tails, Oranda, and Lion Head. So, the choice of an inhabitant for an aquarium depends on the preferences of the aquarist.
After you have decided on the choice of fish species, you should decide for what purpose the individual is purchased - for keeping or for keeping with further breeding.
The second option is more difficult, as you need to purchase fish of a certain gender. Distinguishing a female goldfish from a male is quite a difficult task, but if you take into account the recommendations, then it is quite solvable.
If you purchase fish before puberty, it is recommended that you purchase at least 6 fish of the same species. When you reach maturity, you will have the best chance of owning fish of both sexes.
How to determine gender?
Puberty occurs at approximately 12 months of age. Before reaching this age, it is not possible to distinguish between gender. By the start of the spawning season, both boys and girls begin to show distinctive features.
It should be noted that there are varieties of fish in which females become sexually mature when they reach 3 years of age. Therefore, the factor of puberty depends on the species you choose.
Although males during this period show maximum activity by chasing females, while pressing them against the walls of the aquarium or decorative objects, a pair of boys can also behave in a similar way in the absence of females.
You can recognize males by the changes occurring at this time, the appearance of growths. The growths appear in the area of the gills and pectoral fins and are white in color. On the pectoral fins, you can see small notches, which are called "saw" due to the similarity with the tool of the same name. At the same time, the complexity is the fact that the appearance of a growth may not occur in some males, while it can manifest itself in females.
During the spawning period, the abdomen of the females takes on a rounded appearance, slightly asymmetrical. At the same time, the body of males looks more elastic and thin.
If you are the lucky owner of the Ryukin breed, then determining the moment will become an overwhelming task, since all individuals of this breed have a rounded body, slightly swollen in appearance.
There are factors that delay the process of puberty: poor diet and aquarium volume. So, the food should be enriched with protein, and the aquarium volumes are calculated based on the ratio of liters per fish.
The main signs
Let's consider the main signs of how to distinguish a boy from a girl, but these recommendations are applicable only to healthy individuals. An unhealthy male will not be able to show activity in courting a female, and an undernourished female will not have roundness, a swollen belly may, in turn, be a sign of the presence of a disease.
Let's list the main differences between males and females.
- Body. In the female, the body has a rounded shape, the appearance is slightly swollen. In the male, it is elongated.
- Notches. The pectoral fins of males have sawtooth notches.
- Fins. Females have shorter, rounded fins on the abdomen.
- White growths in males in the region from gills to pectoral fins.
- Behavior. Females are passive.
- Anal opening. In females, it protrudes, while outwardly resembles a peculiar growth on the abdomen at the tail of the fish. In males, it is retracted.
- The anal fin in females is compacted, unlike in males. By palpating the female and male, this feature can be identified.
- Male abdomen In the most common cases, it has a kind of scallop extending through the belly to the anus.
- Color. In girls, the color is brighter, but this sign is not required. There are breeds of goldfish, the males of which are brighter.
During the spawning period, a female goldfish can spawn up to 3 thousand eggs. The spawning time is about 6 hours in the morning.
In home conditions, spawning can be year-round, but in this case, the fish producers will be depleted. Therefore, at the end of spawning, it is recommended to give the fish a rest by settling in separate aquariums.
So, based on the above distinctive features, you can distinguish the male from the female and start breeding goldfish... Breeding goldfish requires 2-3 males, a female, a spawning aquarium with a volume of about 30 liters, aquarium plants, a good filtration and aeration system, and a thermostat. Further breeding is also difficult, but it should be remembered that good nutrition and fresh water are the key to healthy offspring.
You can learn more about the differences between a female and a male goldfish in the video presented.
Thank you very much, helped)