ID please....Female or male?

[aecasasus]

I have two seahorses (Hippocampus comes) and both were sold to me as females, but 5 months later 1 seem to look more like a male than a female. I bought them seperately and about 2 months apart. Can anyone help me i.d. if this one is a male or female.

[aecasasus]

This is a picture of him/her when first purchased.....

[Bluemon]

female.

[aecasasus]

Originally Posted by Bluemon

female.

Thanks!
How can you tell? Any tips on identifyng them. I have read alot about them but I think it just confused me more. Any help would be appreciated.

[Bluemon]

well... males have more of a rounder belly even when starving. on bigger species, the pouch is a little bit of a different color.

your sehorse (very pretty btw) lacks these and is very... snakelike.

[aecasasus]

Originally Posted by Bluemon

well... males have more of a rounder belly even when starving. on bigger species, the pouch is a little bit of a different color.

your sehorse (very pretty btw) lacks these and is very... snakelike.

Great! Thanks for the info and help!

[Bluemon]

youre welcome!

[DanU]

No disrespect intended, but I am going to argue that it is a male. A pouch is pretty evident to me. I am speaking of the seahorse in the first picture with the side profile.

Dan

[rayjay]

Male on left has the pouch, female on right, no pouch

[chinmo]

1st male..... 2nd female

[aecasasus]

Originally Posted by DanU

No disrespect intended, but I am going to argue that it is a male. A pouch is pretty evident to me. I am speaking of the seahorse in the first picture with the side profile.

Dan

Ok. So what do you think of picture number 2? The seahorse on both pictures is the same... Can they change sex?

Originally Posted by rayjay

Male on left has the pouch, female on right, no pouch

Thanks for the picture... On that picture the difference is pretty evident. What do you think I got?

Originally Posted by chinmo

1st male..... 2nd female

Both pictures are the same animal.... 5 months apart. Weird?

[Bluemon]

sooo... i was half right?

[aecasasus]

Originally Posted by Bluemon

sooo... i was half right?

Lol!

[Bluemon]

hmmm... dans right, there seems to be pouch on the first one. not so clear tho.

maybe a better pic would help?

[rayjay]

Originally Posted by aecasasus

Both pictures are the same animal.... 5 months apart. Weird?

I'd be betting picture number one is five months after picture two.
Females always look like females.
Males look like females until becoming sexually mature when they develop their pouches.

[aecasasus]

Originally Posted by rayjay

I'd be betting picture number one is five months after picture two.
Females always look like females.
Males look like females until becoming sexually mature when they develop their pouches.

Thanks for the info!

I'm happy to know that one is a male since I have been having a hard time finding a male, which is why I ended up buying another female just to keep that one company. But then again now I have to wait and see if the other one is actually a female or male since both of them where sold to me as females. I'll try to get a picture of both of them today and post it.

[Bluemon]

oh

u learn something new everyday!

[aecasasus]

Here is a better picture of Pegasus.......

[aecasasus]

Here is a picture of my other seahorse (Majesty)..... Now I'm starting to wonder what it is going to be, lol.

[DanU]

I see both as males.

Dan

[rayjay]

At least you won't have to worry about separating the fry to raise.

[aecasasus]

Yes the last couple of days he has been looking alot like the other one. It's funny because when I bought them, (they where bought at different lfs)both told me that they had a very hard time getting males, LOL.

Now another question....

I am upgrading this tank in January, I would like to have another pair of seahorses, either erectus or reidi. I'm aware of how many gallons for two pair of seahorses thats why I'm upgrading. My question is, will these two males be happy with out a female? Sometimes they start dancing and turning white like if they are flirting with each other, is this normal between two males?

[Tucson Reef]

Thats the way society has gone over the last few years, they even allow it in our Military now, lol

[timinnl]

Originally Posted by aecasasus

Yes the last couple of days he has been looking alot like the other one. It's funny because when I bought them, (they where bought at different lfs)both told me that they had a very hard time getting males, LOL.

Now another question....

I am upgrading this tank in January, I would like to have another pair of seahorses, either erectus or reidi. I'm aware of how many gallons for two pair of seahorses thats why I'm upgrading. My question is, will these two males be happy with out a female? Sometimes they start dancing and turning white like if they are flirting with each other, is this normal between two males?

The reason is because they were shipped over while they are still young and unsexable. If the producer waited a while longer before shipping them out, chance are better to buy them with the sex known. But then you will pay a higher price for them.

Young males practice sometimes with eachother and see who is stronger. If you add a female into the mix, they will fight/bluff to develope a pecking order.

As for mixing species, that is a crap shoot with most seahorses meeting their demise. Most don't do well becase you are mixing different types IE: tank raise, true captive bred or wild caught.

Tim

[Molehs]

Originally Posted by aecasasus

My question is, will these two males be happy with out a female? Sometimes they start dancing and turning white like if they are flirting with each other, is this normal between two males?

I've got 2 male and 2 female and the boys spend most of their flirt time at each other. Consider it practice...