Gender Shifting Swordtails

Lansirill

Lansirill

Mathemagician
Jun 14, 2007
248
0
16
Washington, DC
I think my female may be turning into a male. I'm not terribly shocked by this; she managed to kill the (smaller) males in the tank so, sure, change into a male. What I'm curious about is what's going to happen to the fry she's carrying? She's had a dark gravid spot for a couple weeks now so I imagine she's going to pop sometime this week or next, I'm just wondering if the gender change is going to cause her to miscarry.
 
did she actually grow the sword? did her fins change shape?

if not, then she's just getting agressive probably because she's about to have some babies.

if she has, then you have a freak of nature on your hands.
 
http://www.gender.org.uk/conf/1992/lyon.htm

There is mention on this web page about swordtails changing gender. Using Potts L. W. and Wooton R. J. (eds), Fish Reproduction: Strategies and Tactics. London, as a source.

Of course I have only heard of late developing males that people have confused for females, but there is some research out there about gender issues with fish.
 
it depends on the age of the specific fish, Young females can change into males if there is a shortage of males in the area, The same as some species of frogs. But it does depend on her age. And it is very rare.

Slayer
 
with all the various artificially selected traits to get various types of swordtails, along with the fact that most people think they're called swordtails because of the tail, makes it quite easy to believe that gender changing is possible. but truth is, there will be females with tails that have the "sword" and there will be males without that "sword". the tail is not an indicator of gender in any case. it's the gonopodium or lack of that should be used as an indicator.
 
Hm. Well, I have no idea how that got confused in my head, but pretty clearly I was wrong on that one. Thanks for clearing it up. If I happen to, contrary to opinion, be right I'll let people know I have a magic swordtail.
 
I hesitate to add to this, but when I had swordtail's, molly's and platy's (and now with my endlers) I have once or twice had a female switch to male and vis-versa. It's a survival mechanism to make sure there are enough to breed, but it really only happens in juvenile fish. Once an established adult, it wont change. And ThePBM is correct, the tail has little to do with it, it is the gonopodium that changes first, then the markings and this takes weeks to happen. At least that has been my experience.
 
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