Would Never Have Believed It..

[Ludwig Venter]

please don't be angry if i'm wrong..but..
can't this happen with bettas too? I was certain it could...

Haven't heard that yet it does, but amazing things happen & I won't be shocked if it does, but I doubt it....

 

[Ludwig Venter]

Another strange thing I've observed during the past few days,.... The only remaing female out of the 5, are being chased exclusively by the original male... (much smaller than the developed males) .... Could this mean that they are hybrid???

Another interesting observation I made tonight, is that the most recent female turning into a male has already got a gonopodium, however,... her gravid spot is stil very prominent....

The original male stil chases the "changed" females, and they do not chase the remaining "full" female???.... STRANGE!!

 

[helterskelter]

It's a myth about females changing sex.

It's well documented that these fish take upto a year to mature, gravid spot's are not 100% sign of female.
Old females can have a male hormone over load causing the to develop secondary sexual characteristic (external)
How ever they are not true males producing sperm.

 

[Ludwig Venter]

It's a myth about females changing sex.

It's well documented that these fish take upto a year to mature, gravid spot's are not 100% sign of female.
Old females can have a male hormone over load causing the to develop secondary sexual characteristic (external)
How ever they are not true males producing sperm.

Helter.... I've seen these females (now males) delivering their fry..... Hence my topic statement... "Would never have believed it"... Deffo no myth....(had 1 male and 5 females to start off.... all females delivered,.... some are now males with gonopodium and the sword in their tail)

 

[swordtailsrock]

It's a myth about females changing sex.

It's well documented that these fish take upto a year to mature, gravid spot's are not 100% sign of female.
Old females can have a male hormone over load causing the to develop secondary sexual characteristic (external)
How ever they are not true males producing sperm.

helter skelter you say it is a myth but i went to my lfs yesterday and saw a huge male, female sized, but with a very small sword, don't you think that a male of that size would be fully developed? also there was a male half the size of him/her with a fully developed sword and gondopodium.

THAT IS PROOF!!!!111!1!!

 

[helterskelter]

I know what your all saying but there is no evidence lud you said your not 100% sure they had fry, what I'm saying is that it's impossible for them to develop into fertile males.

If they do their late developers and would never give birth.

 

[swordtailsrock]

I know what your all saying but there is no evidence lud you said your not 100% sure they had fry, what I'm saying is that it's impossible for them to develop into fertile males.

If they do their late developers and would never give birth.

well then maybe ludwig should get some of his "male" fish and a virgin female sword and see if she has fry with the newly developed male.

 

[helterskelter]

Still you then dont know how old the fish is, quite possible it's a late developer.

These things are not so easy to prove or it would be fact not a myth.

 

[Ludwig Venter]

Still you then dont know how old the fish is, quite possible it's a late developer.

These things are not so easy to prove or it would be fact not a myth.

I am saying, that I am 100% sure that those females, which are now males,... Did deliver fry before their transformation,.... And I am 100% sure that the latest female ... busy transforming into a male.... Have a solid gravid spot AND a gonopodium!!!

 

[swordtailsrock]

im with you on this ludwig

 

[Ludwig Venter]

im with you on this ludwig

Thanks Swordtail... deffo no myth... I've seen it and it is a fact!... Only wondering if the latest one will deliver before the sword in the tail develops.... I'll keep watching & I'll keep posted.

 

[TheSims3Dude]

I beleive you too Ludwig, I've had a female that gave birth, and then turned into a male a month or 2 later! It was so weird....

 

[helterskelter]

Do u happen to have any pic's before and after?
Would love to see photo's u can show.

It's just that their is no evidance that i know of other then reports of it.
Until then it can only be classed as a myth

Even if has happened to your self.
I'll be happy to look at any fish people would like to show me, and even better if one dies freeze it and I'll love to document it.

 

[TheSims3Dude]

No sorry, I don't... It happened like 3-4 years ago....

 

[OldMan47]

I have suspected that I have a swordtail that started female and turned male. In my case, the fish were all juveniles when I got them and they all looked female for about 6 months after. I then noted that one of my females started to take on male characteristics. That newly changed male proceeded to do his best to impregnate the females in his tank. It is now 3 months later, with no other males present in the tank, that's part of my problem, and there is no fry to show for the sex conversion causing new pregnancies. There are females in the tank but although some of them show a gravid spot, I have seen none of them deliver. I wish one would because they are beautiful wild type X. helleri but so far no fry in that tank. I am certain that none of my females have previous experience because I have kept them in a species only tank for well over 6 months now. Although they are gorgeous fish, I am afraid the converted male is no more than a pretender to the claim of male.
I would be interested to hear of otherwise virgin female swords being productive following a mating with one of these converted female / male fish.