African cichlid sex reversal?

[mcloughlin2]

Had a dispute with a friend yesterday regarding african cichlid going through a sex reversal. The discussion came about because he has fed his african cichlids strong colour enchancers such as 'Super G' and 'Super R' which i believe is a white crane food. I said that it was wrong and misleading if he were to ever sell his fish but he claims the sex has been changed so that the female peacocks and haps have assumed the males colouration and hence it isn't misleading.

Upon me disagreeing with this as I believe that a female fish can take on males colours only temperarily but never be a fertile male he claimed that he has had females turn into fertile males without the addition of colour foods in electric blues, maingano, zebra sp and fulleborni + many more including tropheus. I have never heard of this before and doubt it is true but I can't ignore this as he has been keeping fish for quite some time. His proof is that the females had bred prior to the supposed sex reversal.

[Foti]

if somebody can tell me how to post a photo i think this is what has happened to my red empress iv seen young males and mine did not look like that they looked like females and were sold to me as otto females at that ill post if i find out how!!!

[fry_2_buy]

if somebody can tell me how to post a photo i think this is what has happened to my red empress iv seen young males and mine did not look like that they looked like females and were sold to me as otto females at that ill post if i find out how!!!

Try here

http://www.aceforums.com.au/index.php?show...mp;#entry191984]http://www.aceforums.com.au/index.php?show...mp;#entry191984

[chorrylan]

it's quite possible your mate is correct that some fish species can change gender.

There is a classic experiment from some time back where some guys demonstrated that midas cichlids can readily change gender; the largest fish in any group *becoming* males as opposed to our general belief that males *become* the largest fish.

There are a myriad of sex determination models amongst various fish species over and above our traditional model based on our chromosomes.

If you're interested int he topic I have a few documents gleaned from the web stashed here: http://www.planetchan.com/laurie/pets/fish...nd_the_fishies/

[BJJ-Master]

A algae extract , Astaxanthin is the reason for his females to show male colours . It is not a hormonal change causing the colouration they are still females and switching to a "natural food" rather than an "engineered natural food" will see the females return to their normal colour in time .

One aquarium near by has hybrid peacocks with near full colouration at 3cm , they aren't all males and I whole heatedly agree with you it is misleading to sell them . BTW the aquarium I mentioned disgusts me .

[fongyfong]

i never heard of it with africans but it could be true as it happens with clown fish all of them are born male at first and some become female as they grow older when they breed or something

[CThompson]

it's quite possible your mate is correct that some fish species can change gender.

There is a classic experiment from some time back where some guys demonstrated that midas cichlids can readily change gender; the largest fish in any group *becoming* males as opposed to our general belief that males *become* the largest fish.

There are a myriad of sex determination models amongst various fish species over and above our traditional model based on our chromosomes.

If you're interested int he topic I have a few documents gleaned from the web stashed here: http://www.planetchan.com/laurie/pets/fish...nd_the_fishies/

Excellent cartoon Laurie.

[E4G13M4N]

WC will not change the sex of the cichlids but will make the females take on male colouration and also sometimes will enhance aggression and temperament of the fish. As a shop owner i will not touch a malawi cichlid that has been fed this food. (Super R & G was designed originally for discus and discus only)

It is funny how most fish he mentions that have changed sex with out the food, dont actually change sex but change colour as they mature.

The only fish i know of that can change sex are

Clownfish (Marine)

Barra

Desert gobies

and obviouslly there is probablly quite a few more but i dont know of any african cichlids that do off hand

[akroyd]

I haven't heard about desert gobies changing sex before. I'd like to read an article if you have a link.

Red devils are known to be indeterminate sex when young. You can manipulate the fish to get either sex.

Dicrossus filamentosa have been known to change sex. Here's an old thread.

http://www.aceforums.com.au/index.php?show...;hl=filamentosa

I've read of mbuna changing sex a few years back. A quick search found a recent article on PFK.

http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/...m.php?news=1826

[E4G13M4N]

Interesting read on the mbuna, i always thought that some males can show female colours to try and avoid aggression, were the fish in the article ever disected for proof ??

I havnt seen any documentation on the desert gobies that i can think of but quite a few SANFA members experienced it a few years back, and i have with mine as well mainly the Coward Springs i have kept. As the old males passed away one of the older females would change sex and start breeding with the the females left in the tank.

I used to keep all my young ones seperate from the parents so it wasnt one of the siblings that was growing out in the same tank.

[fongyfong]

Just rmeberd i had a male lombardi it was yellow and then turn blue later on(female colours)

[JPM1976]

I was told that white crane food has hormone in it, which is why the females get colour.