One of my husbands co-workers told him she had cichlids that could change their sex. She didn't tell him what kind of cichlids they are but claims a female can turn male, and visa-versa. It would be nice to have more info on what she had but my husband hardly ever see's her, so most likely won't be asking anytime soon. I laughed when he told me, it sounds like she didn't know what she was talking about. Has anyone ever heard of this? If it's possible, I would like to be educated on this.
Odd cichlid question
- Thread starter RhondaAnn
- Start date
There are a few that will "mask" their sex and change coloration to avoid being seen as the dominant male as a threat....or juvies changing color as they into a male or female
but I have "0" about one completely changing it's sex...lol
but I have "0" about one completely changing it's sex...lol
On a search I found this info...
Auratus, Melanochromis has the ability to change sexes, in an environment devoid of males, a female will switch sexes and become a male. It has also been stated that the same is true of the males.
Maybe what the woman said is true? :huh:
Auratus, Melanochromis has the ability to change sexes, in an environment devoid of males, a female will switch sexes and become a male. It has also been stated that the same is true of the males.
Maybe what the woman said is true? :huh:
Actually all Cichlids are able to change their sex up to 1 year in age or 4 inches in size, unless they have already spawned with another fish. There was a thread on here a long while back that someone found from a well known scientist, who did a study on multiple Cichlid species, and was found to see that every last one of them was able to change their sex to even out the male/female ratio in a tank.
A very well known Cichlid for changing their sex is a Convict Cichlid, which sparked his study into the issue.
A very well known Cichlid for changing their sex is a Convict Cichlid, which sparked his study into the issue.
I would certainly like to know your source for this information.
Rather than from arbitrary claims, I would like to read of proof by study from a notable source.
"All fish reproduce sexually. In sexual reproduction, a sperm unites with an egg in a process called fertilization. The fertilized egg develops into a new individual. Males produce sperm and females produce eggs in almost all fish species. But in a few species, the same individual produces both sperm and eggs. In many species, fish change sex during their lifetime. Fish born as males may later become females, and fish born as females may later become males."
From World Book Online Americas Edition
http://www.sportsmanschoice.com/A%20Note%20Worth%20Reading/fish.htm
"
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]3.[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Plastic Sex[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]When, why and how fishes change sex as adults, with some examples from cichlid fishes.[/FONT]
http://ib.berkeley.edu/labs/barlow/book.html
George Barlow's book on cichlid fishes and their evolution is a delight to read. Barlow, is Professor Emeritus in the Dept. of Integrative Biology at the Univ. of California in Berkeley. He makes no bones about tailoring the book for a lay audience, although it contains a wealth of easily readable scientific data.
From Barlows Book Explaining Plastic Sex
Cichlid success may
also be associated with the ability of an individual
to change its sex in certain conditions,
a process perhaps best known
from examples of tropical reef fishes. In
the chapter titled “Plastic Sex,” cichlids
that are capable of changing their sex,
including an African tilapia and an Asian
chromide, are described, as are the effects
of pH and water temperature on
sex ratios. The concept of sexual plasticity
may be new to some readers. It does,
however, help explain why the two female
Midas cichlids in your tank are suddenly
rearing a clutch of fry in the absence
of a known producer of sperm.
So now excuzzzeme, no need to be arrogant, finding information online is nothing but a matter of taking the time to find the actual information about it.
From World Book Online Americas Edition
http://www.sportsmanschoice.com/A%20Note%20Worth%20Reading/fish.htm
"
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]3.[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Plastic Sex[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]When, why and how fishes change sex as adults, with some examples from cichlid fishes.[/FONT]
http://ib.berkeley.edu/labs/barlow/book.html
George Barlow's book on cichlid fishes and their evolution is a delight to read. Barlow, is Professor Emeritus in the Dept. of Integrative Biology at the Univ. of California in Berkeley. He makes no bones about tailoring the book for a lay audience, although it contains a wealth of easily readable scientific data.
From Barlows Book Explaining Plastic Sex
Cichlid success may
also be associated with the ability of an individual
to change its sex in certain conditions,
a process perhaps best known
from examples of tropical reef fishes. In
the chapter titled “Plastic Sex,” cichlids
that are capable of changing their sex,
including an African tilapia and an Asian
chromide, are described, as are the effects
of pH and water temperature on
sex ratios. The concept of sexual plasticity
may be new to some readers. It does,
however, help explain why the two female
Midas cichlids in your tank are suddenly
rearing a clutch of fry in the absence
of a known producer of sperm.
So now excuzzzeme, no need to be arrogant, finding information online is nothing but a matter of taking the time to find the actual information about it.
Thank you for all the information. I hadn't found that one in my search. Much more informative than what I found.
This is what I got from Wikipedia, under Aquarium Care: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melanochromis_auratus
I'll bet ya, these are the cichlids my husbands co-worker had.
This is what I got from Wikipedia, under Aquarium Care: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melanochromis_auratus
I'll bet ya, these are the cichlids my husbands co-worker had.
And not every source is created equal....especially on the internet. Pulling contradicting statements from unknown sources is a Dan Quail tactic...
Usually when quoting something like that means you might have to give your source... Is that so hard..? Arrogant is being subtle, I think you sound like a condescending douche..