Bellus Angel - similar question as Lamarck thread

[forddna]

If I bought a female Bellus, might she change to male?

 

[mflamb]

All Genicanthus can change either way. I've read everything I can find on the genus. No real reasons as to why they change. I hope mine doesn't.

 

[forddna]

I was afraid of that.

 

[Gwynhidwy]

I've never heard of a female Genicanthus sp. angel changing to a male without other females present, usually a group of females. I've had two female G. melanospilos for about a year now and neither of them has changed to male.

 

[snorvich]

+1 I have had a Watanabi change from female to male back to female when a male was introduced and then died.

 

[flameangel88]

I added 2 female watanabe last Nov, another female this February and so far none changed. Added 2 female and 1 male Bellus in February the male died last month (had a very slight swimming issue most likely due to improper decompression and never ate since day 1) and waiting for one to change.

I'm going to add a male Watanabe this week and see how the females react to him.

 

[philter4]

They actually don't change sex back once they have become male, only the color changes. This is a defense against being attacked by a more dominant male. All angels that have been studied to date are born female and when old enough and dominant change to a male, but never the reverse. They can however change their color pattern to mimic a female and avoid confrontation with other males.

 

[flameangel88]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12902037#post12902037 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by philter4
They actually don't change sex back once they have become male, only the color changes. This is a defense against being attacked by a more dominant male. All angels that have been studied to date are born female and when old enough and dominant change to a male, but never the reverse. They can however change their color pattern to mimic a female and avoid confrontation with other males.

This can be seen on the pictures posted by BangkokMatt and SDguy on this thrd:

For the love of Genicanthus

I must say that the pattern really changed to look like a female.

 

[arammell]

I was wondering if I were to put two female swallowtails in my 210 would one of them eventually change to a male? I can find females all over the place, but males are harder to come by. Which of the genicanthus are the hardiest by the way???