sex changing swordtail

[Mickael]

SwordTail Sexes

The lady at my local pet shop aparently has bought into the myth that swordtail fish DO change sex.
Well, I specifically asked her for a Female swordtail fish so that my mail swordtail would reproduce with her in my tank. Well, my so called female is sprouting her tail. ...and only the males have the swordtails right? ...which leads to another question. Why do we call the females swordtails?
...and my MAIN question is, how do I tell the difference between a Male and a Female so that the next time I go shopping for a female, I can just figure it out myself?

 

[Harlock]

The lady at my local pet shop aparently has bought into the myth that swordtail fish DO change sex.
Well, I specifically asked her for a Female swordtail fish so that my mail swordtail would reproduce with her in my tank. Well, my so called female is sprouting her tail. ...and only the males have the swordtails right? ...which leads to another question. Why do we call the females swordtails?
...and my MAIN question is, how do I tell the difference between a Male and a Female so that the next time I go shopping for a female, I can just figure it out myself?

Buy only mature females. Older, larger fish is what you are looking for specifically. Males will have a gonadopodium instead of a triangular shaped anal fin.

 

[yrustyb]

sexing swordtail

If they do not change sexes then why is it my fry frm three subseqant pregnancys are all femail? the femail was bought pregnent to my surprise, and she has droped three sets that all appear to be femail. I have no males in the tank, they were killed by a betta, but she has had 75 fry from the three pregnancies. If some one can fill me in on weather they will stay femail or how to tell the differance with no distiguishing differances in the annal finn then I would appreiciate it greatly.

 

[FreddytheFish]

Look at the date....:

 

[khombre]

Look at the date....:

I thought so too lol :