Is this male or female?

[Gobie]

Trigger fish don't change sex. Maybe what you are seeing is juvenile colors changing into adult colors.

 

[Amphiprion]

I was thinking either that or maybe color change in the presence of other individuals--especially when spawning. I figured they were gonochoristic, espcecially since I had never heard of hermaphroditism in Balistids.

 

[Bret61081]

I was actually wondering if this is possible myself. I've had mine since June and about a month or so ago her Jaw started turning blue. she is pretty small...about 2-3" but I have seen several males smaller then her with a defined blue jaw and yellow tail. I have noticed lately a change in her attitude aswell. she used to eat silversides and krill from my hand and now she doesnt...she also now has a taste for my xenia! How many People have actually witnessed this change?

 

[Gobie]

I am confused what does a male juvenile blue throat triggerfish look like. Do they have the same coloration as a female? I can't get a good picture of a female. My blue throat is about five inches long, it has black fringes on itââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s fins including itââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s tail, the body is all gray. Looking at this page the last picture is suppose to be a blue throat but it has clear fins and a kind of red tail. Is this a picture of a female? What do I have? Male or female?

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/oct2002/Fish.htm

Mine looks like the first picture in SMS76's post, that fish donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t look like the fish on this page I found.

Does any one have a good picture they can post of a female blue throat?

 

[jda]

You have a female.

Males can get more colorful around a female, and get duller when alone. They oftentimes look good coming out of the ocean because they were around the ladies.

Juvis look like juvies and females tend to look like juvis.

Adult males have yellow outlines on their fins. Females have clear or black.

 

[Gobie]

Thanks, off to find a male for her. I just didnââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t want to get a male and find out the one I have is a juvenile male.

 

[d4a2n0k]

Finally some pics of my confused Trigger. Notice how you can see a slight Blue Throat in the pics, its barely noticeable in person, if at all. Sorry for the crappy pics the fish is always on the move. When I first got it the blue throat stood out big time and it had yellow edged fins.

 

[jda]

It is a male. It would probably color up more with a female in the tank. It seems like the triggers let the appearances go all to heck when there are no ladies around.

 

[SMS76]

Ok So do female have any blue lines (dark or dull) or blue color in her throat area?

 

[jda]

Females can have blue on their chin too, but usually it is not too prevalent if they have any at all. The fins are the best way to tell. Yellow on the fins is a male - clear or black is a female. Keep in mind that we are talking about adults. Juvis all look dull and more like females.

Check out this link on the X. triggers. The link posted earlier was for crosshatches.

 

[SMS76]

When Juvi starts chaning to adults? Do you know appoximate size?

 

[jda]

I don't know for sure, but I would say by 3 or 4 inches you should know. I have seen certian males for sale at less than that size.

 

[SMS76]

I think i got one when he was around 3" and may be he/she is around 3-4" so may be he/she is still juvenile