I may have messed up sexing mandarins....

[rmorris_14]

And I knew this, kind of why I have been waiting to see a larger more dominant male. My female was a tiny biota captive breed. Just was not positive she was a she.

Obviously I now know I have a male and a female, and it looks like they have worked out their differences.

Today they are swimming together, and hunting together. No signs of aggression at all.

They probably just needed a little time for her to lay down the law and let him know how the relationship was going to go

 

[jepuskar]

It really comes down to what they both identify as. One may identify as a tang.

 

[homer1475]

Just a small update......

They continue to swim together, hunt together, and sleep together. Glad this worked out, I was worried for a bit, I won't lie about it.

 

[Miami Reef]

Wait, so is it a female?

 

[homer1475]

Yup

I have a male, and a female. I have even seen them doing their mating "dance".

 

[homer1475]

They look like male/female to me... but I'm not an expert. Here are my pair.

Just an FYI, males can sometimes try to "aggressively" mate with their females. And sometimes, the females just aren't having it.

Something I just noticed on your pic, that I have noticed with mine.

The male has a more orange tint to his coloring, and the female is more green in color. Never noticed it before with as many mandarins as I have seen, but noticed it right away when they were together.

Could just be from where they were collected, of that I'm not sure on?

 

[Paul B]

Looks like two little boys to me,but maybe your female is just cool and sporting a Mohawk.

 

[homer1475]

Looks like two little boys to me,but maybe your female is just cool and sporting a Mohawk.

Oh I initially thought it was 2 males, but seeing as they sleep together, hunt together, and I have seen them doing their mating dance, I'm inclined to believe I have a male and female.

 

[Smirkish]

Glad this worked out. They look cozy together now! I have a blue/green male and a spotted female that coexist but do not fancy one other. They usually stick to opposite ends of the tank, but when they do encounter they will still flare up, and the spotted usually runs the male off. Luckily never had anything more violent happen than that. Seeing this does make me wish I had a mated pair, though. Beautiful fish.

 

[Smirkish]

Looks like two little boys to me,but maybe your female is just cool and sporting a Mohawk.

 

[homer1475]

HAHAHA Love me some misfits!

 

[New&no clue]

Something I just noticed on your pic, that I have noticed with mine.

The male has a more orange tint to his coloring, and the female is more green in color. Never noticed it before with as many mandarins as I have seen, but noticed it right away when they were together.

Could just be from where they were collected, of that I'm not sure on?

I noticed that as well. I was wondering if when they get larger the orange get more defined. Or if it was just regional. Although I believe mine are collected from the same area.

 

[homer1475]

Of mine. I'm not sure. I do know my female is a biota captive bred, but have no clue where the male came from other then being wild caught.

 

[Tamberav]

I am still seeing two males. Just they get along which is unusual.

Maybe the female has some sort of deformed spike? Idk.

 

[((FORDTECH))]

I have a pair of red ruby gobies and every day the male chases the female at dusk as the lights dim down the male chases the female around for a while but then after that every night there found laying in the sand next to each other

 

[Enderg60]

For anyone wondering the short spike is only an indicator the fish is not a mature male. Juvenile male manadrin dont have a spike either.

If the dorsal fin is curved at the front its a female. If its straight its a juvi male and if it has a spike its an adult male.