Pterophyllum scalare
The shape of the head of the Escalars is a great source of information about it. In the case of the male, the section between the upper lip to the first vertical black stripe looks swollen, one could say that the profile describes a convex curve. On the head of the female, this same section looks opposite, so the profile view curve is concave.
Still located in the head, we can perceive point differences in the mouth. The lower jaw of the male scalar surpasses the upper jaw, i.e. the lower lip is more protruding than the upper jaw. This same detail is given inversely in females, where the upper lip surpasses the lower lip.
Another distinguishing feature is that the Escalars have a stripe in the eye. In males it is straight stroke, while the female stripe is curved.
In the body, an always differentiating factor is the fins. The gap between the ventral fins and the anus fin is always shorter and arched in the male. The spines present at the base of the dorsal fin are also more irregular in the male than in the female.
And to conclude, we can note that, beginning the reproductive period, the ovoppositional tube of the female is flat and pointed backwards. In the male it ends more acutely and points towards the front.
It is important to bear in mind that these differences are more noticeable in adult specimens. If your goal is to reproduce Escalars but you do not have experience for that purpose, ask for additional information or consult a specialized store with verifiable experience.
(c) Adrián Blanco 2006 / 2008 - No full or partial reproduction of text and/or images without explicit written consent of the author. —