Apparent sex change?

[richardong]

Another showboat... :rolleyes: He has been changing colors, we think he is turning male...

http://www.pbase.com/image/88270406/original.jpg

Dave, what kind of wrasse is this? That fish is amazing

[Dave McReeferson]

Hi Richard,

He is a False-eyed Wrasse (Halichoeres biocellatus), sold to us as a Christmas Wrasse (most likely also a common name of this particular Wrasse)

After some digging we found out he has indeed changed from female to male, he did this without the presence of another female. We looked back in our pictures and were very surprised to see the dramatic change. Even though we did notice his coloration was changing, it happened so gradually we did not realize how complete a transformation he had made. Notice the loss of the eye spots (ironic in light of their common name), the dramatic change in color (most notably the red to green transition, and the development of a bright blue lateral line).

Thank you for the question Richard, it prompted us to look into it further and that is what helped us discover what had been going on. :)

[Dave McReeferson]

I copied a couple of posts from my photography thread into here as I thought it may make for interesting conversation.

Anyone have any thoughts or have you experienced similar occurrences? I have had a couple male Wrasse' of different species lose color and seem to in the end more closely resemble a female, but I haven't had one make the turn the other way without the presence of other females of the same specie...

:confused:

[naturebatslast]

I thinks it's call protogyny, beginning life as a female and then switching to male. I had a conversation with Frank Marini about protogyny (f to m), protandry (m to f), and induction (change from lack/removal of another sex).

Just found this on Google scholar, but uses a saddleback Wrasse as an example...
"The removal of a single dominant individual has been shown to trigger a sex change in some coral-reeffish. In the saddleback wrasse (Thalassoma duperrey), however, female-to-male sex change requires visual stimulation from smaller conspecifics. This change is not dependent on the sex or color of the stimulus fish and can be inhibited by larger conspecifics. On the reef, a female probably changes sex when the relative numbers of larger and smaller conspecifics change within her home range"
Rest of Journal Article (http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/221/4610/574)
Your fish, I guess, would imply protogyny by means of induction.

[Dave McReeferson]

It is the absence of any other of the same specie of Wrasse that gets me.

We have removed a few of the more dominant fish (of other species) from the system (leaving a power vacuum?)...

He also has taken an acute interest in his reflection as of late (perhaps seeing himself as a competitor?)...

He also chums around with our Meliagris a lot, who is smaller (perhaps viewed as a subordinate in spite of the differing species?)...

I wonder which of these factors have and have not influenced his metamorphosis.

[JayM]

the fish is amazing looking in either gender.....

[ReeferMedic]

One of my bipartitus leopards change from female to male, but I have a pair. Pretty uncommon imo to happen without another of the same species present. Pretty cool to watch either way though.

[chew*]

I have been watching this fish for awhile, It to appears to be "shifting" in color however unlike being sold as a Xmas wrasse this was sold to me as an Ornate Wrasse. The lateral lines were existent when i bought him, the longitudal lines however were not, very curious what he will end up looking like. I might add that although he/she is the larger of the 2 wrasses I have the 8 line is the dominant fish of the tank.

Very similar to yours dave save for the fact that mine is powder blue versus green.

http://members.cox.net/bostonreefer1/tank1.jpg

[ReeferMedic]

My meleagris did the same thing shortly after I added him to my system. That was quite a while ago, and he still looks the same. I believe the change you're seeing is more from juvi to adult rather than from female to male.


http://www.julianrocks.net/fish/littlefish/MacropharyngodonMeleagris.htm

[chew*]

Hmmm still yet to find out any info on this guy :(. Everything i've searched is vague. No juvenile/adult pics. Probably my fav fish in my tank, just wish my chromis would die off so i could add another wrasse :/

[ReeferMedic]

Hmmm still yet to find out any info on this guy :(. Everything i've searched is vague. No juvenile/adult pics. Probably my fav fish in my tank, just wish my chromis would die off so i could add another wrasse :/


Here's a bit of info, but no juvi pics. This fish actually looks like it could be in it's adolescent stages imo.



http://animal-world.com/encyclo/marine/wrasses/OrnateLeopardWrasse.php

[ReeferMedic]

There are a few pics at the bottom of this page.


http://www.marinelifephotography.com/fishes/wrasses/elongate.htm

[ChrisL - Seaworld]

Halichoeres melanurus maybe
try this site

http://www.malawicichlidhomepage.com/other/halichoeres_melanurus.htm

by the way i just picked one of these up and will get a picture as soon as i can

[jacqur]

Chew - Christmas wrasse is often called ornate wrasse because of the latin name. Halichoeres Ornatissumus.

I would tend to agree that it appears to be a Melanarus wrasse.

Interesting Thread here - the first pic posted by Richard almost looks like a Christmas wrasse - but Dave's post of the juvenile form is definitely not Ornatissimus.

I have a Halichoeres Iridis who constantly flashes my Chysysus wrasse. They never get aggressive but circle around all finned up. They are very similar species and size although very different coloration. I think they are confused though. My point - I imagine a non conspecific but same Genus or whatever may be enough for these guys to get busy?