Will my leopard wrasse change sexes?

[Wellsoman22]

Hello everyone, I just acquired a lovely leopard wrasse and it is doing very well ! I am just wondering if in time, it will change its sex. It is a splendid leopard wrasse, and to my understanding, females and males differ in coloration. I really adore the coloring of the female and I had to move some fish to put the leopard in the tank in the first place, so I would be dismayed if this one turned into a male. I know that isn't a bad thing or anything but I really love it the way it is. Then I would have to move my fish AGAIN to put another in.

So my question is this: Should I get another leopard wrasse so that in any scenario I will have at least one female? I would much rather just buy another leopard wrasse than discover that it will change after I have moved the rest of my fish back. Thanks!

 

[Wellsoman22]

Anyone?

 

[evolved]

Maybe, maybe not. There's no set answer to that question. She could stay female for many years, then end up transitioning at some point in the distant future.

How large is the tank and what are the other tankmates?

 

[Wellsoman22]

The tank is a 92 corner and aside from the leopard, there are two ocellaris clowns, a royal gramma, a tomini tang, and in the near future o will be reintroducing a canary (yellow coris) wrasse, and an Allen's damsel. So, I do have room for another leopard in the tank, so I am thinking I would add another female just to make sure I will always have one. Do tank mates affect the possibility of sex change?

 

[evolved]

Male leopards sometimes won't tolerate other wrasses, even conspecifics. So adding another female would eventually result in a male/female pair, but then there's a chance that new male might kill the female. It's not typical, but it does happen.

And yes, tankmates matter; specifically other wrasses. The presence of the Canary Wrasse can either help or hurt in your quest to keep the female from transitioning; it depends on which one establishes dominance.

 

[Wellsoman22]

The canary wrasse is significantly larger than the female leopard. So in my quest to keep a leopard wrasse female, what would you recommend I do?

 

[Allmost]

at this point its the wrasses call.

 

[evolved]

at this point its the wrasses call.

Precisely.

At this point, I'd do nothing more, and hope for the desired outcome.

 

[Wellsoman22]

Thanks for the help. I really appreciate it Using your logic, I would think that the leopard may stay female in that the canary will become dominant.

 

[albano]

Just keeping a leopard wrasse alive is enough problem, without worrying about a second leopard or sex change

 

[namxas]

FWIW, our female remained a female for the 8 years we kept her. She was the only wrasse in the tank.

 

[ca1ore]

I'd think without the 'pressure' of conspecifics you probably are always going to have a female. Agree with albano that keeping one at all is an achievement - plus the girls are a really awesome looking fish.