Sexing
Within the genus Trichogaster one of the most reliable methods for sexing the fish from a very young age is inspecting the dorsal fins. Males characteristically have a longer dorsal fin, usually long enough to reach the caudal fin when relaxed or laid down along the back of the fish as shown in figure 3. In the females the dorsal is always shorter, sometimes just long enough to touch the caudal peduncle as shown in figure (3). In addition a mature female will be much rounder in the stomach region and may be smaller than the male.