Male or female Texas cichlid?

[Walzon1]

Just going by reading I have done never owned either..... going by pic

Cyano
Tan base .....check
Small pearls white/blue in color........check
Pearls evenly spaced.......check

Carpintis
Grey base
Large pearls blue/green color
Tight pearling tight spacing random patterns and shapes.

I agree it could be a cross cyano/carpintis but most features look cyano to me.

I have seen many pictures of young juvi carpintis that look similar to pic but OP said it was an adult so full size carpintis should have larger pearls and tighter spacing. This is all IMO of course I'm no expert

 

[Skalper666]

Def male, I don't believe it is a pure cyano though.

 

[titanium]

Looks like both are male.

 

[AROxFH]

That doesn't seem to be 10" maybe 6-7" and sex you have to vent usually. Id bet on it being male due to appearance

How you gonna tell someone how big they fish is and he looks like a solid 10

 

[Man-made Monsters]

Male……Either Male Carpintis or Male Texas/Carpintis mix.

 

[duanes]

Some of the most interesting parts of this thread, are the contrasts in color between the Herichthys in photos in posts 1 and 8 (both with light colored substrate)and the individual in post 9 ( dark substrate).
For cichlid aquarists planning decor this is a good indicator of how cichlids blend with their surroundings, and what to expect with the colored substrate an aquarist might choose. (this is applicable to many cichlids), not only Herichthys.
If you use light/white substrate, you can expect the colors of your fish to wash out.
The most common predators in nature on cichlids are birds, so how they are seen from above, is important.
And just because they are in a tank, don't expect that chameleon like instinct to disappear.

There are 3 H carpintus (as seen from above) in the photo above.
Below the same fish, a side shot, in spawning colors .

Below the same male in non-breeding dress

I kept the above (and other cool water cichlids) in room temp tanks ( no heaters), and outside in ponds late spring thru early fall in WI.

Both carpintus and cyanoguttatus have been kept in aquariums since around 1900, and often times confused and interbred with each other over that time.
The only way to know for sure they are not hybrids of both, is to know catch location, looks are unreliable.