Coloration is 1 possibility but there r a few variants of 3-line pencils in the market (most of the so-called 3-line pencils r actually dwarf pencils anyway). Another way is to condition them with frozen bloodworms. Like most characins, pencilfish males should be considerably slimmer than the females when they r in mood for love
Intense coloration can be observed on the males when they r ready to mate ... But then again, they will exhibit the same intense coloration when they rough it out with other males (what gay fishes).
Side note : U may wanna house them in a separate tank if u r trying to breed them. Pencilfishes are known to eat their own eggs and frys.
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