As the topic says, is there a general rule of thumb out there for determining how old a (juvenile) clownfish is? I know there's one about the length of time that they say it takes a clownfish to reach sexual maturity but I was wondering if you could look at the, say, length of a clownfish in its younger stages and determine its age. I realize that the rates vary among different species but what about, for example, A. perculas?
Is there a way to determine clownfish age?
- Thread starter Mook Man
- Start date
From my understanding, there is no way to tell age. They will grow slow until they reach sexual maturity, then they will grow faster. There is no set time when they reach sexual maturity either. They will reach maturity when there is no male or female around them.
No, there is no way to tell how old a clownfish is, either juvenile or adult. They are protrandric hermaphrodites; they are all born as male, the alpha male will become a female, the next fish in the social order will become a mature male, the rest will stay as juvenile males as long as an alpha male and alpha female are present. They can be juveniles for many years.
In absence of an alpha male or female, a perc from birth will mature in 9-15 months. If the perc is old enough to be mature but still a juvenile, it can become a female in 30 days or so
In absence of an alpha male or female, a perc from birth will mature in 9-15 months. If the perc is old enough to be mature but still a juvenile, it can become a female in 30 days or so
some websites say they're born sexless, others say juvenile males. Either way, they still will grow slower if they're not the female or alpha male.
If you check the journal Nature, Monogamy and sex change by aggressive dominance in coral reef fish, by H. W. Fricke and S. Fricke in 1977, or fishbase.org, they are protandrous hermaphrodites, which means they are born male and turn female.
Some species in Pomoacenteridae I believe can be protygenous hermaphrodites, but clowns are all protandric.
All fish are born sexually immature; in the presence of alpha fish clowns never leave adolescence and never become fully grown. So you can't tell if that baby clown is 5 months old or 5 years. Or conversely of that full grown clown is 15 months or 15 years.
Some species in Pomoacenteridae I believe can be protygenous hermaphrodites, but clowns are all protandric.
All fish are born sexually immature; in the presence of alpha fish clowns never leave adolescence and never become fully grown. So you can't tell if that baby clown is 5 months old or 5 years. Or conversely of that full grown clown is 15 months or 15 years.
hahaitzmickey
New member
what about lenght of the fish? ya think that can tell the maturity level of the fish? to kno if its female or male?
Lmecher
New member
According to Joyce D. Wilkerson's book entitled Clownfishes, all clownfish are born and remain sexually immature (neither male or female) until their reproductive services are needed. When kept in a group there will be one female and one male, the rest will (like Peter Pan) never grow up. Once a clownfish becomes female, it will remain so for the rest of it's life. A male can however change into a female when social surrounding lack one. It has a hormonal shift that causes it to grow, become more agressive and develope ovaries and becomes a functioning female, never again to be a male.
reefdragon1086
New member
count the rings like a tree. lol
Look on page 27, toward the bottom, she says "the unusual male-female reversal in clownfishes ins known as protandrous hermaphroitism". The definition of protandrous hermaphroditism is that the animal is born male and then can turn female. Again on 132-135 she calls them protandric. You can't be androgynous and protandric at the same time. If you read Fricke, they go a step further and call them protandrous sequential hermaphroditism
Size does not come into play as they stay half grown until they mature sexually, then they grow again.
I think the confusion comes from the fact that they don't have X and Y chromosomes. Their gonads do not mature as adolescents, but when they mature, they always go male then female. So by definition, they are immature males.
I had this discussion years ago with my sister, who is a biology professor.
Lmecher
New member
This is very confusing because she states:
"Triggers within their social environment determine hormonal mix and thus gender, of which three options are avaliable: adolescent, male and female.
You are saying that "adolescent male, male and female" are the proper way to catagorize gender. Yes?
This is very interesting, thanks for setting me straight.
