Male vs Female Platy

The platies are one of the more popular species used in the aquarium. Apart from being colorful, they are also easy to maintain. However, when having platies in the fish tank, you need to control the population of the male and female platies when breeding.

But how do you differentiate male vs female platy? This article will let you know the difference by comparing several factors such as size, colors, and other physical traits of the male and female platies. This information will allow you to properly distinguish between male and female platy.

Size

There is no definite size for a female or male platy when fully grown. But, the only difference between the two sexes is that the female tends to grow bigger compared to the male. They can have the same size when they are babies, but the difference will be noticeable as they grow.

For female platies, they can actually grow by as much as 2.5 inches. For the male platies, they can grow up to 1.5 inches. The size difference will not be evident with the same gender but is visible when you pair the male and female side by side.

Anal Fins

In humans, to be able to identify gender, the best thing to do is go to their reproductive organs. This situation can also be used similarly when distinguishing between male and female platy. The reproductive organs of the platies are found in the anal fins.

But where are the anal fins located? The fin is located just behind the pelvic fin and should be found on the underside of the belly of the platyfish. The anal fins are the reproductive organ of the platyfish and can be used to determine the male and female platyfish just by examining this part.

For female platy, the anal fin will be rounded and is generally wide in appearance. The look is similar to a folding fan. Also, the male and female platies also come with similar pelvic and anal fins.

For the male, it is quite different. The anal fin of the male platy is long and pointed. Its natural form will be used in the natural reproduction process. There will be an instance when the anal fins of the male platies will be folded so that it will be hard to see.

Natural Body Shape

You can also differentiate between male and female platy through the shape of their bodies. The female platies come with rounded and plumber body structures, apart from being naturally bigger.

On the other hand, the male platies are generally smaller and have a smoother and sleeker body shape. One thing that you should remember is when the female platy gets pregnant. You will notice a slightly swollen belly and some darker spots in the middle.

Color

You can also differentiate the male and female platies through the vibrant colors in their body. Like any other fish species, the male platies come with more vibrant colors and more complex patterns than the female because they naturally use them to attract their female counterparts to mate.

But more or less, both the male and female platies come with similar patterns. You can identify them by the quality of the colors of the bird. It is also normal for the male platies to have darker hues than their female counterpart.

Gravid Spot

Another way to differentiate male and female platy is through the gravid spot. The gravid spot will only appear once the female platy is pregnant. So, there is no gravid spot in male platies. But what is a gravid spot?

The gravid spot is like a white spot found in the abdomen of the female platies. When the female platies are close to giving birth, expect the presence of gravid spots, which are darker spots found on the female platy’s abdomen.

During the period of pregnancy, expect this gravid spot to grow larger and even become larger as days go by. This spot indicates that a smaller bird fry is developing beside the female patty’s abdomen.

Behavior

The behavior can also determine which is male and female platy. For the male platies, their primary objective is always to catch the attention of female platies. This situation is normal since platies are known to be livebearers.

So, the male platies are more aggressive than female ones because they are constantly chasing the female ones. Platys usually are non-aggressive in nature since they are very peaceful and friendly. But male platies chasing female platies are natural aggression on the male platy.

Conclusion

Learning the difference between male vs female platy is essential if you are keeping this fish species at home. The need to control the population of the platies will need you to keep the right number of male and female platies in the fish tank for breeding purposes. Always maintain the correct ratio between male and female platies inside the fish tank, one male to every two female platies.