Sexing tomato clownfish

[Navyblue]

Is it possible to identify the gender of tomato clownfish from its appearance?

To be more specific, I would like to know if it is possible for a tomato clownfish that still bears the juvenile mid body stripe to have turned female? I am assuming that all females have single stripe and darkened body.

 

[cody6766]

If it's the only clown in the tank, it probably did. If it's been paired with a female, it probably did not. I've heard of a few cases where a young clown was added to a female, but the young one was either already a female or morphed after the addition. I'd assume the latter case would be one where the female was a 'weak' female and didn't dominate the other fish to prevent the transition. Don't take that last sentence for anything more than something to look into. I don't know if a strong male will turn female and push out an established, weaker female. It makes sense to me that it might be possible, though.

As for tomato clown dimorphism, I'll have to leave the speculation to those better informed than me.

 

[Navyblue]

Sexing tomato clownfish

It appears pretty established that a physically small clownfish can be a female when left on its own. We tend to assume that for clownfishes that looks pretty much the same as it grows larger/older, like ocellaris clownfish.

On one hand, I have not seen a male, even though old tomato clownfish with a darkened body. Which supports my hypothesis that only the females have darkened body.

On the other hand, I have never seen a small tomato clownfish that has a dark body too. So it could be that the darkened body is simply a function of age or size but not gender.

But I can't say I have seen too many tomato clownfishes in person. So I would like to know if anyone has seen the male in a pair exhibit darkened body, or a physically small (say under 1.5") but in matured form (single stripe plus darkened body).

 

[Navyblue]

We have been keeping, and breeding, tomato clownfishes for decades now, I imagine someone at some point would be interested to know about this. I googled this before asking, I haven't been able to find any discussion on this. It seems that no one can offer any input on the matter too. I thought it is kinda odd.

 

[Winwood]

My guess is if they still have their mid bar, they are most likely still juvenile/male. Female clowns develope pretty rapidly once they fulfill that role.

 

[Navyblue]

I am trying to pair 2 tomato clownfish. The larger one (3"+) is an obvious female with a darkened body. The smaller one (1"+) still bears the juvenile mid body bar, though I have no idea how long had it been in the LFS.

I quarantined them together and of course the bigger one beat up the smaller one, but nothing too serious. Eventually I moved them to a 120G. After more than a month they are still not paired up. I suspect the female is too docile, or the tank is too big, or both. They sleep at opposite corner of the tank.

I can see the area around the mid body bar on the smaller one seems to be darkening. I have no idea if this is what happens when the bar is disappearing, or if the fish is quickly turning female and skipping the "bright red body but no mid body bar stage".

 

[Winwood]

I am trying to pair 2 tomato clownfish. The larger one (3"+) is an obvious female with a darkened body. The smaller one (1"+) still bears the juvenile mid body bar, though I have no idea how long had it been in the LFS.

I quarantined them together and of course the bigger one beat up the smaller one, but nothing too serious. Eventually I moved them to a 120G. After more than a month they are still not paired up. I suspect the female is too docile, or the tank is too big, or both. They sleep at opposite corner of the tank.

I can see the area around the mid body bar on the smaller one seems to be darkening. I have no idea if this is what happens when the bar is disappearing, or if the fish is quickly turning female and skipping the "bright red body but no mid body bar stage".

I think you're probably safe. Just give it some time. One of my local shops has a pair that's 20+ years old. The two fish look identical except the male is about 2/3 the size.

 

[Navyblue]

I see, so male can have darkened body too. Thanks for the info.