I have been seeing a lot of posts on Reddit and other forums about how to sex dwarf gourami, and I am not sure if these people are serious. Maybe they are trolling. But since I have been doing research on it, I decided to put my thoughts and experience on it.
In contrast to many other forums, I will be very clear, concise, and give facts, not opinions.
First, let me tell you why I care about dwarf gourami. My girlfriend has one and I like them. When I first saw one, I was so amazed and fascinated by it, I wanted to learn everything there is to know about it.
After that, whenever I saw one in a tank, I would always take a few minutes to just look at it. Formerly I hated fish, but after I got into aquaculture, I started loving fish. So when I saw dwarf gourami for sale at my local pet store, I bought it.
Now let’s talk about how to sex a dwarf gourami.
How To Sex Dwarf Gourami?
According to the literature, the male has a very small dot on the end of his “penis”. The female also has a very small dot on the end of her “vagina”. These are called “nuptial tubercles”.
The male will attempt to impress the female with how large his nuptial tubercles are. However, she will be much more interested in his ability to provide food for their offspring.
Finally, once she has accepted him as a mate, they will engage in sexual intercourse. There is not enough information to tell us exactly what they do, but we can get a general idea.
How to Tell If a Dwarf Gourami Is Male or Female?
There are many things that you can look for to determine the sex of your fish. You can use the following methods:
- Look at the fins. Male fins are longer than female fins.
- Look at the body shape. Male fish have a more streamlined, thinner body.
- Look at the eyes. The male fish have bigger eyes.
- Look at the coloration. The male has a more vibrant color, and the female is usually darker.
- Look at the size. You want to get the largest dwarf gourami you can find, and a male will be larger than a female.
- Look at the patterning. Male fish have different patterning on their fins.
- Look at the tail. Male fish have a thicker tail, while female fish have a thinner tail.
- Look at the body. Male fish are usually more slender than females.
- Look at the mouth. Male dwarf gouramis usually have a slightly larger mouth. You will be able to tell if a dwarf gourami is male or female by looking at the size and shape of its fins.
There is a good chance that it will also have some other signs that will help you determine which one it is.
Didn’t understand yet?
Here’s a video showing how to tell if your dwarf gourami is male or female: Is the Dwarf Gourami Male or Female?
Can Dwarf Gouramis Be Aggressive?
Dwarf gouramis are a species of tropical freshwater fish from Southeast Asia. Although they are sometimes referred to as “aggressive”, this is not true. In fact, dwarf gouramis are generally quite docile and peaceful fish. If provoked, however, they will bite if necessary to defend themselves.
Aggression is a complex subject. Simply put, aggression is the behavior of one animal towards another that results in injury or death. It is part of the natural behavioral repertoire of all animals, including fish. Some fish (such as catfish) are very aggressive and will attack anything that moves in their territory. Other fish (like guppies) are extremely timid and will run away from almost everything.