Pair of Mystery Wrasse ?

[wickedfish]

I have had a pair of mystery wrasses in my 120 gallon tank now for about 5 months, now. I cant find anything on the net or in books about there sexes or what to look for. When i first got the pair. The owner told me the one with lines was the male it was 2 inchs and the one with out was the female 1 in a half inches. To put the female in first then the male. Thing is now the lines keep changing. The male now the bigger one has no lines now and the smaller one has the lines. Anyone have any info how to distinguish there sexes. Thank you.

 

[wickedfish]

Anyone?

 

[zemuron114]

there is no sexual difference between them. Some say there is, but there is no proof. you are lucky ! I use to pair them up a lot by trial and error.

 

[wickedfish]

Oh, so there is no proof. I been trying to google any info with no success. Everyone has there own opinon on it. So there sexes change.

 

[rachenbrazil]

wrasses usually changes sex so pairing 2 different sizes would be good recipe to get a true pair. Usually bigger are females (at least in Bodianus rufus species). But usually external diferences are subtle...

 

[jmaneyapanda]

Oh, so there is no proof. I been trying to google any info with no success. Everyone has there own opinon on it. So there sexes change.

You are stating two different things here. Their sex likely does change, as in with other wrasses, but there is no dimorphism between the sexes (bars or otherwise).

 

[wickedfish]

Okie Dokie, Thanks alot guys or gals. Even, though they swim around the tank with there eyes flipping around, hahaha. Just wondering. Because i cant find anything on the net about how to distinguish there sexes. Thanks.

 

[29reef]

Their size as adults and if they get along or not will tell you if they are male or female. Hopefully yours are young and will form their own pair.

 

[melanotaenia]

the fact that you have two that are living peacefully together is a good start for sure. My last Mystery Wrasse hardly tolerated anything else in the tank, let alone another Mystery Wrasse!!!

Do you have any shots of the pair? I know they can be hard to photograph.

 

[wickedfish]

Yeah, ill post some up. The bigger one has no lines its about 3inch now and the smaller one is about 2 1/2 and it has lines. Thing is when i purchased them it was the other way around. But i introduced the smaller one first for a week then added the bigger one. When i first got them i would say the bigger one was about 2 inches and the smaller one was about 1 1/2 inches. I purchased them for $120 for both. It was a steeler...

 

[wickedfish]

Here is a couple of crappy pictures i took of my camera phone. Hard to take pics of them swimming around together. I just had to post a pic of my tusk and p.tang swimming around.

 

[wickedfish]

Their size as adults and if they get along or not will tell you if they are male or female. Hopefully yours are young and will form their own pair.

Yeah, i got them 6 monsth ago. The biggest one was about 2 inch and the other was a lil smaler. Yup, there still doing fine...They make good tank mates with my tusk and p.tang.

 

[wickedfish]

Here are a couple of cleaner pictures...

 

[NexDog]

Can the Mystery Wrasse be trio'd?

 

[wickedfish]

Can the Mystery Wrasse be trio'd?

Yes, but not at the same time. Thats the whole point of this thread. i was wondering how can you tell the f and m apart.

 

[29reef]

Yes, but not at the same time. Thats the whole point of this thread. i was wondering how can you tell the f and m apart.

Size mostly; think clownfish

 

[tcmfish]

Clownfish are the total opposite. The male will be larger in the mystery wrasse, as is the case with most fish. Clownfish are the exception not the rule.

 

[29reef]

Tim- your correct, I was just trying to explain that the 5 bar male and females are different based on size and not coloration. Much like how clownfish don't appear differnt at maturation.