How to Find Out If a Fish Is Pregnant

Determining if your fish is pregnant depends on the type of fish you have. If you recently purchased the fish, and it came with an extended belly just below the gills, you should check with the retailer to see if you should be expecting any baby fish. In addition, keep an eye on the fish for some tell-tale signs that it might be pregnant or about to give birth.

Things You'll Need

  • Fish
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Instructions

    • 1

      Determine the breed of your fish. If you are unsure of the type of fish you have, check in various fish books or online databases. In addition, you can take a photo of your fish to a fish or pet store and ask for their help in identifying it.

    • 2

      Locate a "normal" photo of your fish breed, and a "pregnant" photo of your fish breed. This will help you determine if your fish normally has a bulge in this area, or if it is pregnant. You can locate a photo by going to Google Images and typing in your fish's breed and the word "pregnancy" in the search bar.

    • 3

      Look to see if the fish has a large bulge just below the gills. It will look very similar to an extended belly.

    • 4

      Keep a careful eye on your fish for several days to see if the bulge gets any larger. Fish can be pregnant between 20-40 days, depending on the breed.

    • 5

      Watch your fish's behavior. If it is swimming very sluggishly, hiding in parts of the aquarium and/or refusing to eat, it might be about to give birth. If this is the case, you should separate your fish from the others in the aquarium.