Sexing Starcki / Starki / Starkii Damselfish

[mwp]

OK, so I noticed an interesting item posted on LiveAquaria's WYSIWYG - a "female" Starkii damselfish, 3/4" in size. Check it out while it's still on their website - http://www.liveaquaria.com/diversden/ItemDisplay.cfm?ddid=13415&siteid=20

So here's the question...how do they KNOW it's a female? I did a quick search for sexing information and came up with NOTHING! I may have even brought this up before, but if I did and it was answered, I forgot!

If only I had the tankspace to get the breeding pair from Tropicorium (or whatever that Michigan place's name is...)

Matt

 

[aomont]

Aren´t damsels protogynous ? I can always be wrong but I think they are.
If it´s small it´s a "she" if it´s large it can be a "he". She is less thana inch ! Next question: what is small and large ?

BTW lot´s of puffers and wrassers in there !

Anderson.

 

[clownfish75]

Thats a shocking looking starcks damsel, the ones that we get from the coral sea are solid colours right to the margins of the body, very much a damsel that looks like a resplendent.

the pic is very washed out around the margins, is there 2 species being confused?

Christian

 

[mwp]

Christian, I thought the same thing myself. But I've only seen larger "adult" starckii, never one so small. 3/4" is maybe 2 cm at best..

Matt

 

[GreshamH]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8753238#post8753238 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by clownfish75
Thats a shocking looking starcks damsel, the ones that we get from the coral sea are solid colours right to the margins of the body, very much a damsel that looks like a resplendent.

the pic is very washed out around the margins, is there 2 species being confused?

Christian

Most of the small ones I've imported over the years, from Tonga, look like that in the smallest of sizes, and get solid margins like you said, in the adult color morph.

I'd suspect the ones on L.A. site are from Tonga. They get alot of stuff from there.

 

[clownfish75]

cool i will have to look into this further, now is the season for them to collect in that area, so ill ask about babys and what colour they are, perhaps even get one.

Christian

 

[mwp]

(wish I had more tanks for broodstock)

 

[Luis A M]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8753227#post8753227 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by aomont
Aren´t damsels protogynous ? I can always be wrong but I think they are.
If it´s small it´s a "she" if it´s large it can be a "he". She is less thana inch ! Next question: what is small and large ?

Anderson.

I think damsels are not hermaphrodites.No clue what made them call that juv a female.You could ask,they usually reply

 

[mwp]

I'm still drooling over the female, and it just so happens I need to replenish some snail and hermit crab populations...

Anyone have any more info on the hermaphradism / sexing / pairing of Chrysiptera damelselfish? I've been researching online...just about the only real information I came up with was Luis's article on breeding Yellowtails. That and that some of the damels DO exhibit sexual dimorphism...

Matt

 

[mwp]

BTW, some of the links I've come up with...

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=702475

http://animal-world.com/encyclo/marine/information/breedmarine.php

http://www.reefsuk.org/articles/captivebreeding/breedyellowtaileddamsels.php

http://www.fishbase.org/summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=6601 - was hoping to see more "juvenile" pics etc...

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/damselreprofaqs.htm

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3746/is_199802/ai_n8795155/pg_3

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6T4D-48BC0V1-2/2/32a1836c4c86ba0a48b8b520816af71c - or - http://www.citeulike.org/user/Agdalena/article/912424

or a PDF of the article! - http://mail.nkmu.edu.tw/~cmit/Reference/Literature/Fish Breeding/Coral fish breeding secret.pdf - FWIW I tried to save it but couldn't access it, but did get an HTML version of the PDF through Google's cache at http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache...reeding+Chrysiptera&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=36

Another thread by Luis - http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=2145192

 

[danfrith]

For $20, I'd say go for it. If you think you have room for another fish.

 

[mwp]

Well...I'm thinking a few fish have overstayed their welcomes....

Matt

 

[Luis A M]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8875971#post8875971 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mwp
I'm still drooling over the female, and it just so happens I need to replenish some snail and hermit crab populations...

Anyone have any more info on the hermaphradism / sexing / pairing of Chrysiptera damelselfish? I've been researching online...just about the only real information I came up with was Luis's article on breeding Yellowtails. That and that some of the damels DO exhibit sexual dimorphism...

Matt

Matt,I can.t check yr links right now cause I am using a public charged by the time,computer
But the only ref of damsel changing sex I ever saw was from Scott M.in a FAMA article.If they do,which I don´t think,it must be female to male,cause males are the larger ,dominant gender...