Can Someone Tell Me What The Gender Of My My Baby Bristle Nose Pleco Is?

I just recently bought and added a baby bristle nose pleco into my fish tank, and I would like to know if anyone could possibly tell me what the gender of it is? Since I really would like a male since they grow the bigger bristles, and if you can’t tell by the pictures, could someone tell me how I could tell?

 

Welcome to fishlore!

It's way too tiny to sex at this point.

That little guy needs some food!!! He looks way underfed! Get him some protein in the form of wafer and a veggie quick!

You really won't know for sure if you have a boy until you start seeing bristles. Or a red heart-shaped spot on the back of his head. Like under his eyes.

There is a lot of growing that needs to be done before you can sex this guy though.

 

Welcome to fishlore!

It's way too tiny to sex at this point.

That little guy needs some food!!! He looks way underfed! Get him some protein in the form of wafer and a veggie quick!

You really won't know for sure if you have a boy until you start seeing bristles. Or a red heart-shaped spot on the back of his head. Like under his eyes.

There is a lot of growing that needs to be done before you can sex this guy though.

Yeah, he kinda came from the fish store like that, I gave him plenty of food I soon as he was in though I hope I can give him a good home.

So a heart shaped spot under his eyes? I’ll look for that, I was just wondering if maybe the shape of him/her could determine the gender

 

Yeah, he kinda came from the fish store like that, I gave him plenty of food I soon as he was in though I hope I can give him a good home.

So a heart shaped spot under his eyes? I’ll look for that, I was just wondering if maybe the shape of him/her could determine the gender

I figured he did since he is still in the bag in the photo. And I'm sure you will provide a great home.

Here's the spot I'm referring to. You only see it on light colored BNs. It might take just as long as the bristles to actually show up. So it may not help you sex it any sooner.

 

I figured he did since he is still in the bag in the photo. And I'm sure you will provide a great home.

Here's the spot I'm referring to. You only see it on light colored BNs. It might take just as long as the bristles to actually show up. So it may not help you sex it any sooner.

View attachment 519315

I took a picture while he was still in the bag because I figured it would be harder to take a picture of him while he was in the tank, since he’s so small.

Do the females grow bristles too?

 

I took a picture while he was still in the bag because I figured it would be harder to take a picture of him while he was in the tank, since he’s so small.

Do the females grow bristles too?

Females will occasionally get small bristles along their lip. But they won't get them up their snout like a male.

 

I wish I had kept better records so I could know for sure but I am thinking Elbert (that handsome fellow over there in my avatar) was 3 maybe 4 months old when I started seeing tiny bristles around his mouth. Once they started growing it seems like it happened fairly quick. I was positive he was in fact a boy by the time he was 6 months old..