How can you tell the difference between male and female fighters?

Im asking this as i brought a male today at the fish shop but it doesnt have the same body as my other males,its body is more rounder and it has a horizontal line on its body, can someone help me by saying how you can sex fighters.

One way would be to float your new one in the tank with the other, if they both flare up.....Males usually have longer ventral and anal fins.

I'm having trouble with sexing mine, until I see them flaring up at each other.

Cheers Colin

This is what I was told to look out for in the male....breadth of dorsal fin, squarer corners to the caudal fin, long ventrals (at least 1/2 the body length) and a longer, more tapered body shape & Females tend to have a shorter, chunkier body, shorter ventrals, a smaller and narrower dorsal, a more rounded tail shape, a fuller belly (sometimes with the eggs visible as a pale patch) and an 'egg spot'.

hope that helps

ok iv had it for a day no and its in the same tank as my other male(not in the same space) but now it looks like a male but its got a big stomeach area and has alot bigger body than my other 2 males.

Any pics yet?

i moved them in and out of the tank they are in today and my male is normal blue/purpled coloured, while the male/female looking at it was pale with two horizontal stripes down the length of its body. i cant post a pic yet as the ones iv taken are all blurry.i think it could be a female but im not too sure.they look interested in each other but dont look like they flare up at each other.is there anywhere/anyone i could take it to in auckland to find out.

Try the Pupuke Aquarium, they aren't far from you.

Sounds like a female to me with those longitudinal stripes tho.

Alan 104