A. baenschi sex change??

[JasonC]

So is there any record (official research or anecdotal) of A. baenschi being able to change sex?

Reason I ask is that I had 3 (1m/2f) in a 20L that both the females had laid and guarded eggs... one female brought out 2 broods, and the 2nd female laid multiple times but never made it past wigglers... eventually, one of the females started getting brutalized by the other fem and male, so I removed her, and now the remaining female is starting to look very masculine. I have not had any breeding activity in a couple months, and in at least a month I have not even seen "her" yellow up. The male is starting to get very territorial with "her". Her physical apperance has changed too... much larger than before, she also has gained the black/orange ring on the outer edge of her caudal fin, and has started to get the vertical bars on her body.

Not trying to stir up controversy on this, but just curious if this is documented in this species, or if more likely that a fry from a prior brood was somehow miraculously able to survive and thrive completely unnoticed?

Or am I just crazy?

 

[Mike Wise]

I haven't heard of sex reversal in A. baenschi, but I really wouldn't be overly surprised if it occurred. Sex reversal is known to occur in apistos. My guess is that most claims are females getting older and taking on masculine features. It would be a good experiment to add you female/male with a female and see if they produce fry. If they do, then you know that she/he is now a he.

 

[JasonC]

Thanks for the reply Mike,I may just have to try to get my hands on another female to give it a try. The one that I removed is pretty beat up right now.. would love to get her back to full steam if I can to see if she will breed.

What factors are known to trigger a sex reversal in Apistos? Environmental? Genetic?

Thanks!

 

[Melanochromis]

I used to have two very old female baenschi. They were over 2 years, or perhaps reaching their third year. Both of them exhibited male features. One of them could easily be mistaken as a male by anyone except those who saw it when it was younger.

I don't really know if the "sex change" had actually occurred, but it is clear there was some very visible change in the appearance in older female baenschi.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Her physical apperance has changed too... much larger than before, she also has gained the black/orange ring on the outer edge of her caudal fin, and has started to get the vertical bars on her body.

I think it is a hormonal thing in old female fish. I've got an old female A. cacatuoides that looks even more like a male now, but this is one I had a couple of years ago. None of my males have ever lived beyond 2 years, but this female was ~ 4 years old when she died.

cheers Darrel

 

[Gwendal]

Really interesting this change of sex.







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