as I watch my breeding colony, and the ever increasing amount of fry, that all at 1st appear to be female… I think I understand more…
I have in my initial breeding group, 2 males, and 5 females… once a dominant male was chosen, he is very intolerant of the other male… the other male only comes out of his hidy hole, if it’s worth his while, as he is quickly chased round and round the 65 gallon tank… it’s worth his while, if one of the females is “receptive” or at feeding time… I’m now quite sure if a fry starts showing as male, the same thing would happen to it, and possibly also with the 2nd male, while if the fry shows no sexual signs, the males pay them no attention… I’m guessing here, but perhaps the male fry can suppress their displaying, for a long time, until either they are separated from a more dominant male, or have grown to a point that they are up to the challenge…
I’m curious if non displaying males ever mate in that stage, or if they are evolutionally stuck as non breeding males, until their situation changes… in essence, similar to wild turkeys, the subordinate males ( jakes ) don’t breed, but also avoid the strut fights of the toms
and if I were to net out several 1/2 grown swords, that all appeared to be females, that any males hiding as females, are likely to rapidly change, to be able to display…
it’s often said that early maturing males are short lived… I can see why, if they are in the presence of dominant males… I woud suspect if separated out early, and with no challenges, they are likely to live a normal life…
so this talk has been about wild type swords so far… however many fish are intolerant of other males… any other fish that take it to this extreme???
I have in my initial breeding group, 2 males, and 5 females… once a dominant male was chosen, he is very intolerant of the other male… the other male only comes out of his hidy hole, if it’s worth his while, as he is quickly chased round and round the 65 gallon tank… it’s worth his while, if one of the females is “receptive” or at feeding time… I’m now quite sure if a fry starts showing as male, the same thing would happen to it, and possibly also with the 2nd male, while if the fry shows no sexual signs, the males pay them no attention… I’m guessing here, but perhaps the male fry can suppress their displaying, for a long time, until either they are separated from a more dominant male, or have grown to a point that they are up to the challenge…
I’m curious if non displaying males ever mate in that stage, or if they are evolutionally stuck as non breeding males, until their situation changes… in essence, similar to wild turkeys, the subordinate males ( jakes ) don’t breed, but also avoid the strut fights of the toms
and if I were to net out several 1/2 grown swords, that all appeared to be females, that any males hiding as females, are likely to rapidly change, to be able to display…
it’s often said that early maturing males are short lived… I can see why, if they are in the presence of dominant males… I woud suspect if separated out early, and with no challenges, they are likely to live a normal life…
so this talk has been about wild type swords so far… however many fish are intolerant of other males… any other fish that take it to this extreme???
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