In nature, the fish of the scalar lives in South America. This type of fish prefers the slowly flowing waters of the bays, heavily overgrown with reeds. The flat form of the body allows the fish to move in dense vegetation. In it, they hide from predators and explore the optimal conditions for spawning. Hold the scalars prefer groups of 20-30 individuals. At the moment it is one of the most common aquarium fish of the genus cichlids .
The scalar has a form of the body, not characteristic for fish, in the form of a crescent. This was due to stretching the dorsal and anal fins. Pelvic fins are transformed into strands that move freely, touching surrounding objects. In the natural environment, on the silver background of the body, dark transverse bands are visible, changing color depending on the illumination and other external conditions.
This aquatic exotic fish aquarium of Russia and Europe are bred since the XX century, but even now some do not understand how to determine the sex of the scalar. In fact, it's very easy to do this. It is only worthwhile to examine the body of the fish and pay attention to some details.
How to distinguish the sex of a scalar?
In young individuals, the sex is slightly heavier than that of sexually mature fish. The first sexual signs appear at the age of 10-11 months. Examine the dorsal fin of your scalaris. In the male, it is noticeably larger and longer than in the female. In addition, the male on the back of the fin has more striae. Scalarias also have contrasting transverse bands, which change their color depending on the stimuli and external factors. So, for example, the color of the bands depends on the mood of the fish - they can be black, dull or pale, which makes them virtually invisible.
The most reliable and accurate method for finding out the sex of the scalar requires an attentive examination of the structure of the body of your fish. The essence of the definition is as follows: in males, the frontal part is more convex and broad, has a forum of tubercle. On the contrary, the female has a wavy forehead shape. In general, male individuals are larger in size than women.
Another important distinctive feature of the male is the presence of an elongated dorsal fin. The female is distinguished by a convex rounded abdomen and a small tubercle, which is located near the genital opening.