Sex Change

[gaiagrrrl]

I know that it takes the babies a while to decide which sex they're going to be, but what about adults? I have an adult "female" who I bought a couple months ago. My male molly tried (and I thought) succeded in mating with her, yet she never got bigger with fry-to-be. He stopped trying to mate with her eventually. "She" acted like all the other females, spreading pheramones around the tank and had the characteristic three bottom fins. Tonight however, I took another one of my females out of my fry tank and put her back with the community and to my tremendous surprise, this fish began trying to mate with her. I got a pretty close look at what was going on and it appears that her shorter two front fins have become rather ragged looking, and the back fin is able to come forward just as the male's fins do when he mates. I thought I had the appropriate ratio of 3 females and 1 male, so even if this molly could change sexes, what would be its motivation? Another male isn't necessary. Do I just have a late bloomer? Weird anyway. If anybody has had any experience with anything like this, please let me know. Thanks!

 

[theotheragentm]

Male Mollies will mate with anything in front of them, male or female. I have heard people say sex changes are possible, but I don't believe it as I have not read any hard evidence on it. Most of the time it's a late developing female.

 

[helterskelter]

No livebearer can change sex, their is no evidence in any papers saying other wise.

What it is, like u say a "late bloomer", If they are are around very dominate males the young fish is capable to stay immature and gain extra size and strength, these are the very best fish in nature. most livebearers mature between 3-6 months but "late bloomer's" i have seen take a year to mature.

 

[gaiagrrrl]

I've found an answer to my own question.

In his book Livebearers: Understanding Guppies, Mollies, Swordtails, and Others, David Alderton writes, "[Females] can even undergo an apparent switch in gender at this stage as well, as the result of hormonal changes in their bodies following declining ovarian function. This phenomenon is most common in swordtails, but has been recorded in other common livebearers as well." This quote is from a paragraph explaining advanced age in livebearers. So it sounds like it can happen, but it isn't very common. Amazing.

Thanks!

 

[helterskelter]

I know from doing hormone feeding in trout that you can make fish change sex and i guess this may happen from an odd fish.
But all fish I've seen that have been chemically altered to change sex their is testes in males, but the pipe work that's needed for external fertalisation is not presant and if anyone get one of these fish and wants to send it to me I'll have to see.

 

[kribensis12]

I had a female swordtail that had many broods. Then she started to get thiner and started to grow a sword. Then she got the gonopudium. She mated with many of my females and they had babies. This append a year ago so I have no pics.

 

[theotheragentm]

I had a female swordtail that had many broods. Then she started to get thiner and started to grow a sword. Then she got the gonopudium. She mated with many of my females and they had babies. This append a year ago so I have no pics.

This sounds more like a late developing male and a case of possible mistaken identity of the fish. I've never heard of these fish changing sexes without hormonal treatments. These fish can develop quite slowly into males.

 

[kribensis12]

That may be so, but what about her havong babies? She was a red wag and the other female was a pinnapple sword so I cant mistake them. I would never give my fish horomones unless it was for the good of them.

 

[helterskelter]

well I've never seen it my self, but if it happens again then let me know

 

[kribensis12]

I have some swords right now so I will let you know.

 

[fishcollector]

I have never heard of this. Since male swords have ZZ chromosomes and females ZW wouldn't that be impossible these aren't clownfish

 

[MarleyBetta]

No livebearer can change sex, their is no evidence in any papers saying other wise.

What it is, like u say a "late bloomer", If they are are around very dominate males the young fish is capable to stay immature and gain extra size and strength, these are the very best fish in nature. most livebearers mature between 3-6 months but "late bloomer's" i have seen take a year to mature.

i heard swordtails could
huh you learn somthin new everyday

 

[theotheragentm]

I've heard the same thing, but no one has given a single piece of evidence that this is possible. It's all "experience" rather than scientific observation unfortunately.