Blue Star Leopard Wrasse color change

[Sigmund]

I have had my BSL wrasse for about 3yrs now. She recently has been going thru a color change (I believe). Is this a wrasse where this change from female to male is common. What causes this transition? Does it always happen if a male is not present, or does this have to do with some other external condition like new fish being added etc.?

Any info would be appreciated....

Here is a pic of what she use to look like....

 

[flfireman1]

Would be nice to see what she looks like now. The male and female are completely different and were once thought to be two different species.
I have a pair and the male is a bluish green color. Definetly a very cool looking fish. If indeed it has changed to a male consider yourself lucky. You almost never see males for sale or in display tanks.

 

[revaltion131]

Yes, they are a species that is born as a female and will change to a male if there is no male present, similar (but not quite the same) to clowns that are born males and as they sexually mature, the dominant will become the female.

 

[Sigmund]

At first I thought she might be sick, as her colors were not quite the same, but over the last week or so I can see that the colors themselves are changing and the patters are changing as well. She/He is definetly a work in progress right now as far as the coloring goes. I will take a picture as soon as I can and post it.

Does anyone have a pic of a male, so I can see what the end state will look like???

 

[forddna]

from liveaquaria.com

 

[Sigmund]

forddna,

Thanks for the post with the pics... Now I have something new to look forward to watching in my tank.

 

[AuroraDrvr]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13276668#post13276668 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by forddna
from liveaquaria.com

[I MG]http://a1272.g.akamai.net/7/1272/1121/20080609190915/www.livea quaria.com/images/categories/large/lg-75917-wrasse.jpg[/I MG]

The "male" in LA's picture is actually an Ornate Leopard Wrasse (Macropharyngodon ornatus)
The "female" in LA's picture is the more common Black-Spotted or Guinea Leopard Wrasse (Macropharyngodon meleagris)

However, Sigmund's Leopard is the Blue Star or Splendid Leopard. (Macropharyngodon bipartitus)

Here's a picture of a male Blue Star Leopard.

Image Courtesy of FishBase

 

[lecher]

I've had a leopard for a little over 2 years now and a few months ago it changed to a male. He looks identical to pic forddna posted. Very cool indeed, I might pick up a female for him.

 

[Just Jim]

I've got a male from the cook islands, and my female is the african blue leopard. Best color combo IMO and they swim together.

 

[revaltion131]

I agree. After I'm out of school and can afford to set up a big tank, shooting for 240g + refugium, it's going to be designed around a harem of M. b. bipartitus.