Genicanthus males - your experiences?

[SDguy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14114219#post14114219 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by snorvich
Ok, this is going to seem weird. I had a male Watanabei and it changed from Male to female. So, put a male in, it went nuts! Killed the male, then changed back to male. Then reversed course and is female.

That sounds like it would fit very well with the theory mentioned earlier in this thread. In such constant close proximity to a female (ie captivity), the male doesn't have to expend the biological energy of keeping its male colors. But it is still a male. So it attacks the new male, and obviously needs the male colors to keep other males out of its territory, so it develops the male colors again. Hey, perhaps the whole male coloration has just as much to do with notifying other males from afar?

 

[flameangel88]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14114219#post14114219 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by snorvich
Ok, this is going to seem weird. I had a male Watanabei and it changed from Male to female. So, put a male in, it went nuts! Killed the male, then changed back to male. Then reversed course and is female.

I also (different tank) purchased a pair of G. Bellus. No changes.

I think you'll have better luck by adding a female Watanabe. I've to remember never to add a male after a male had revert back to female in the tank.

I've 2 female Bellus (1 lg and 1 sm) for almost a year now and they don't seem to get along.

 

[snorvich]

You are probably right. But at that time I did not know the process worked that way and I wanted a pair. Once I found out that things worked that way, I only purchased pairs.

 

[alprazo]

I had two female bellus and one male. THe females never got along. The male died two weeks ago and one of the females has already transformed to male. So far, they still do not get along. The transformation was quick - I would say it took 15 days until I saw no remnants of the female coloring. In the two weeks the fish has grown significantly in length and has already developed small streamers on the tail.

My previous male came from someones tank - 1.5 yrs I was told and without females. Never reverted back.

 

[AquaKnight]

Since we have all the Genio heads in one place...


What does everyone think of mixing species? A male melanospilos, with a female Bellus, for instance?

 

[snorvich]

I have considered it but have never tried it. But I would never think of doing so in a 125 gallon tank.

 

[flameangel88]

I've 2 female Watanabes and 2 female Bellus with 1of the 2 Watababe changing to male and it doesn't look like he cares for the female Bellus.

My question is would males of different species tolerate each other?

 

[ReeferAl]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14114219#post14114219 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by snorvich
Ok, this is going to seem weird. I had a male Watanabei and it changed from Male to female. So, put a male in, it went nuts! Killed the male, then changed back to male. Then reversed course and is female.

I had a similar thing happen with a milanospilos. The "former" male with female colors immediately attacked and killed the newly introduced male. I suspect the theory is correct that the male does not truly revert to a female when its color changes to female in an aquarium.

I wonder what would have happened if the new, smaller male had been separated by a barrier from the larger "female" when introduced? If it had reverted to female coloration would it also have truly reverted to female as the smaller of the 2 "males"? Might the larger have gotten its male color back? Of course, there's no real answers to these questions- yet.

Allen

 

[snorvich]

It is an interesting point. With fairy wrasses, I introduce all via a isolation chamber floating in the tank or attached to the front. But in this case (Genicanthus), it never occurred to me to do so. If the area is large enough, you may be right.

 

[SDguy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14123271#post14123271 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ReeferAl


I wonder what would have happened if the new, smaller male had been separated by a barrier from the larger "female" when introduced? If it had reverted to female coloration would it also have truly reverted to female as the smaller of the 2 "males"? Might the larger have gotten its male color back? Of course, there's no real answers to these questions- yet.

Allen

That would be a great experiment. I would suspect that the larger one would probably get its colors back, if the theory holds true.

 

[SDguy]

Thought I would update with some current pics.

 

[NanoCube-boy]

Wow it changes because of sex. interesting.

 

[SDguy]

Here's a shot to give you an idea of the true color, with no camera flash:

 

[NanoCube-boy]

Nice...

 

[ReeferAl]

Recently my "previous" male that had turned to female colors a couple of years age began changing colors again. Initially I wasn't sure but now the change is clear so I took a photo show the transition.

He appears to be in the process of reverting to male coloration. The yellow is fading and stripes are becoming clearly visible.
The other 2 females are still leading their normal lives. I'll update if the change becomes more complete.

Allen

 

[SDguy]

Did anything change in the tank, Allen, to which you could attribute the change back?

 

[ReeferAl]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14294843#post14294843 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SDguy
Did anything change in the tank, Allen, to which you could attribute the change back?

Nothing that would seem likely. A rabbit fish I had for 5 years died, but it never bothered the angel or vice versa. I recently changed some of the light bulbs. Water conditions have been stable and there are no new fish in over a year.

The angel that is changing back has slowly gotten bigger over the past few years since I got him. He's now almost 6". Maybe size has something to do with it.

Allen

 

[snorvich]

Alan, I had a similar thing happen and I could not pinpoint any factor which caused the change. I have had a similar thing happen with fairy wrasses.

 

[InsaneClownFish]

I just stumbled across this and it's a great read- albeit a bit confusing.

SDguy, any updates on your loopy male?

 

[SDguy]

My male has seemed to "stabilize" with his current colors. Definitely not female, but certainly not what he originally looked like. I still think he's really cool looking, though

With cameral flash:

No camera flash (he looks REALLY blue in person):