Is my platy male or female?

[Pickles12807]

I decided to add a platy to my tank today. I don't have any experience with livebearers, so I just decided to get one to start. I requested a male, but I'm having a hard time telling. Can anybody tell me if this is male or female? I can try to get another picture if needed. Thanks



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[RackinRocky]

Hard to tell from this pic. Need another pic or two or three, with the fins spread out more.

 

[Trainer_Ruby_]

I'd say it's a female but I'm not 100% sure. Males have a pointed fin under the tail(I think it's called an anal fin not sure) that little black fin pointed backwards if it's rounded it's a female if it's pointed it's male. If I'm not mistaken


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[friscuba]

You've got the same thing going on that I do. Sometimes they're a bit hermaphroditic. I've got one that a month ago looked more female, now that it's a bit bigger, it looks more male. A full fin usually indicates female, but the way that bottom part of the tail looks, it looks as though it could swing to a male. Platys and other livebearers have supposedly been rumored to change sex from female to male on occasion.

 

[Chesmok]

Looks like could be female right now but the sex change thing is very real. 4 of my "female" swordtails turned into males 2 months later. Swords are cousins of platies


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[zac15]

Female im pretty sure

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[Pickles12807]

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[zac15]

Female

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[RackinRocky]

I tended to think female too, but the pic didn't show the fins that well. So most likely, due to other's comments, you have a female (unless it changes, lol)

 

[Trainer_Ruby_]

I tended to think female too, but the pic didn't show the fins that well. So most likely, due to other's comments, you have a female (unless it changes, lol)

I have never heard of that happening. Does it occur if there are too many males or is it random?


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[zac15]

Its relatively the same with distinguishing guppies but you can tell if a sex change happens if you pay close attention to the anal fin on your platy

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[creno9210]

Looks like a male to me

29 gallon~ 5 giant danio, pleco, chinese algae eater, two feeder gold fish because adorable
35 gallon~ red ear slider, two feeder goldfish left..

 

[friscuba]

Those last two picture looked male, not female. A month ago my platy in question looked like a female with an odd heavy area on the first ray of the anal fin, like your's did in the first photo, just the last couple days it's been looking like a typical male, and is not posturing against the other males in the tank, it's even been dominating what was the dominant male in the tank.


It really doesn't matter if it's a male or female, unless you are trying to name it... for the most part. If it gets to where your females are getting pestered like crazy, you might decide to get more, get extra females.


I don't know if it's an issue with being a hermaphrodite or just a late developing male. I've seen it enough over the years not to be sold on it being a female.

 

[Pickles12807]

I was planning on only getting 1 more platy, which is why I was interested in the gender. I don't have room in my tank to add additional females if I ended up with one male and one female.

I know platys don't school, but I didn't know if my platy would benefit from having another of its kind in the community tank. Would my single platy be okay on its own?


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[creno9210]

I might be wrong here, but in pretty sure you are supposed to have 5-6 at least. My platys always stayed together. Makes them feel safe.

29 gallon~ 5 giant danio, pleco, chinese algae eater, two feeder gold fish because adorable
35 gallon~ red ear slider, two feeder goldfish left..

 

[emeraldking]

If I have to determine the gender of this fish by just watching the pics, I'd say male. The anal fin looks pointy in these pics. And if it's a male the normal anal fin will change into a gonopodium. Sometimes females tend not too open their fins to well and then the anal fin will look a bit pointy because of that. In these pics that ain't that clear to see. Btw, I don't see a gravid spot with this one.

 

[emeraldking]

Than the other thing: the sex change!
This happens only with females which will turn into males. For also young males start off with the same anal fin shape like females do. Once it's changed into a gonopodium, it's not possible to change back.
This sex change does happen with more livebearers but most common with all members of the xiphophorus family. Which means swordtails and platies. Sometimes you see a male with a gravid spot. This has started off as being a female. Also when a female has dropped fry, she's able to change gender. Most likely is an inbalance of the ratio male/female within the group. But it also happens to older females.


There's also the phenomen called "late males". These are males which tend to get a lot larger than the average males and will have the build of a female for a longer period of time before they'll show the masculine characteristics. But what they'l never have is the gravid spot in this case.

 

[QuakingAspen]

It seems to have a more rounded female fin rather than a pointy gonopodium.

 

[RackinRocky]

Let me clarify something. The reason I said female, early on, is because the anal fin was not spread out, yet it didn't look "pointy" enough to be a male. If you watch the fish closely, sooner or later it will spread it's fins out, and then there should be no question. If it's a full, fanned out fin, it's a female. But when they refuse to spread the fins (often happens when you're trying to sex them before buying them, lol) they might keep those fins tight to the body, and then it's difficult to tell the gender. But when the fins spread, the male will definitely show the pointy, thin gonopodium, pointing to the rear of the fish. IT won't fan out. You just have to watch the fish for a while. If it's actively changing sex though, that's a different story!