Getting some otocinclus catfish for your tank will be a good move. They’re good additions to community tanks because they help to keep things clean.
Otos are good algae eaters that are also a lot of fun to observe. They’re fairly active little fish that will always get along well with others so long as you put them with compatible tank mates.
Many new oto owners have a hard time telling the males apart from the females, though. If you want to make sure that you’re buying a group that contains both genders, you might be wondering what to look out for.
Keep reading to learn how to differentiate between male and female otocinclus catfish. Once you know what to look out for this should be a lot easier.
Physical Differences Between Male and Female Otos
It can be difficult to determine the difference between male and female otos. This is especially true when the fish are still juveniles.
Determining the difference between males and females will only be possible once they’ve reached sexual maturity. They look too similar when they’re young and you won’t be able to tell them apart.
Once the otos have reached adulthood, you can look at their bodies and notice some differences based on the sex of the fish. Typically, males are going to be a bit slimmer than females.
Females are larger than males and they have larger bellies as well. When looking at the belly, you’ll see that it’ll be wider or plumper if the fish is a female.
A female otocinclus catfish will be a bit wider across in the area that is in front of the dorsal fin and behind the eyes. This area should also be taller if the fish is indeed a female.
It’s easier to notice these differences when looking at the fish from above. You can easily see that the female fish is wider than the male.
By comparison, males are slender, but the difference is a bit subtle. Since the physical characteristics of both fish will be similar, it’s understandable if you have a hard time telling them apart.
Both males and females have the same coloration. The differences between males and females aren’t as apparent as they are with some other fish.
Sex Organ Differences
The most reliable way to tell the difference between male and female otos is to look at the sex organs. Males and females possess different sex organs.
A male oto will have a genital papilla that features rows of modified denticles. You can see this from the bottom side of the tail.
So if you can spot this sex organ, you’ll know that the fish is a male. Of course, you have to get the fish to cooperate so you can clearly see the sex organ, and sometimes that isn’t easy while the fish is swimming around the tank.
Even with the sex organ differences, it can be hard to tell males apart from females. Don’t feel discouraged if you’re having a tough time identifying the differences since many people have the same problem.
The sex organs should be different in shape and size. Do your best to look and you should be able to use this information along with the other physical differences discussed earlier to determine the sex of the fish.
Breeding Otocincluses
Breeding otocincluses isn’t something that you should likely worry about. You see, it’s pretty uncommon for otos to breed in captivity.
At this point, little is known about breeding otocinclus catfish in a fish tank. The otos that you find being sold at aquarium stores are mostly caught in the wild.
They’re incredibly difficult to breed and this isn’t something that should be attempted by a novice. If you don’t have substantial fish breeding experience, it isn’t likely worth it to try breeding otos.
Otos simply are not known to breed in captivity. Since they don’t commonly breed in fish tanks, it’s rare for people to find success breeding them.
So if you’re trying to determine the sex of otos for breeding purposes, it might be good to know that it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to breed them. You can try if you’d like to, but it’s important to enter the situation with appropriate expectations.
Otos Must Be Kept in Groups
Another reason why people might worry about the sex of the fish has to do with keeping otos together in a tank. You likely know that some fish can’t get along when keeping more than one male in the same tank.
This isn’t something you need to worry about with otos. Otocinclus catfish are incredibly peaceful fish.
They’re calm fish that are simply going to eat algae in the tank and do their own thing. You can keep them in groups that contain any number of male or female fish so long as there are at least six otos.
Otos live in large shoals in the wild. There are thousands of otos living together in the wild, and they’re not comfortable in tanks when there are too few of them.
It’s said that the best situation involves keeping ten or fifteen otos in the same tank. This is a great idea if you want to go with a slightly larger tank, but it’s fine to keep just six of them if you only have so much room.
You don’t need to worry about how many males and how many females you have in the group. These fish don’t generally breed in captivity so there is no reason to concern yourself with which fish are male and which are female outside of your own curiosity.
Final Thoughts
It is possible to figure out whether otocinclus catfish are male or female. Females are larger and have rounder bellies.
You can see the differences between males and females easier when looking at them from the top. However, the differences won’t become apparent until the fish are adults.
These fish don’t breed in captivity so you don’t need to worry about determining the sex of the fish. Also, it’s fine to keep these fish in groups that contain any number of male or female otos so long as there are at least six fish.
Now that you know how to tell the difference between males and females you can satisfy your curiosity. These fish aren’t going to be breeding in your tank in all likelihood, but it might still be interesting to know which fish are male and which are female.
Jeff has always enjoyed having pets, but as a child, he was drawn to his family’s fish tank. Being able to maintain a small ecosystem and observe the behaviors and interactions in the underwater world peaked his interest early on and has kept him hooked until this day. On Avid Aquarist, Jeff shares everything he’s learned about helping aquatic life survive and thrive in a home aquarium.