melanurus wrasse sex change - separated pair no longer compatible?

[rwb500]

I just bought a male melanurus wrasse from a local hobbyist, and he has a female he wants to sell me too, but he wasn't able to catch it. He is going to keep trying, and I'm sure he'll get it eventually.

How long do we have before the female changes to a male and the two fish are no longer compatible? days, weeks, or is it already too late? I remember reading one post on here that said, in the wild, the largest female of the group starts acting like a male within hours of the male's disappearance.

 

[yeldarbj]

I would guess weeks or months. I had a female that never did change. I finally just had to buy a male. The male took control after a couple weeks and now both are doing fine together.

 

[rwb500]

good to hear! was your female full grown? The one I am wondering about is pretty big so I'm worried it might change sex quite readily.

 

[evolved]

If you're within a week, I wouldn't worry at all. But there's no definite answer to your question; it might take many months for a full transition to happen.

The good news: a transitional state is reversible. Meaning if she starts to transition, she can revert back. The transition is only permanent if terminal male status is reached (which is not likely in a short time span; meaning less than a month or so).

 

[yeldarbj]

good to hear! was your female full grown? The one I am wondering about is pretty big so I'm worried it might change sex quite readily.

Mine probably was a juvi when I got it. I had it over a year and kept expecting to start seeing some changes, but never did. It's still an attractive fish, just not as much so when compared to the male.