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OK, I know that many SW fish can change from male to female, and even female to male. As well, some can change from male to female to male and keep going back and forth. Kinda neat huh? I have actually seen this on several different occasions with SW clowns. As they do a harrum with one female and several males, and when the female dies, the dominant male always turns into a female.

Now, I have read that some cichlids can do this as well. But, I have never heard of anyone actually seeing this in their tanks, only recorded in the wild with tagged fish. Well now I have seen it. I had a group of 4 Victorians, that I have had for about 6-7 years now. Piebolds (Haplochromis chromogynos) to be exact, 3 females (all held eggs at the same time), and one male. I lost the male about a year ago or so. So now I have been using the females (as they are quite the mean little fishes) as dither/target fish for my tropheus tank. For over a year now, they have been females and very non-dominant in that tank. The other day, I noticed that one of them looked as if it had grown some, and was now the dominant fish of the tank. Upon closer examination, I found egg spots on the anal fin (never there before), and some nice red and yellow coloring coming in, in different places of the body and fins. I am planning on setting him and his female (the other female left) up to see if I can possibly get fry from them. LOL, it was a real challange when it was a group, because of their aggressiveness. The male almost killed all three of his females when they would breed before. Now I have to try the separation game and hopefully get them to breed without the new male killing the lonely female. lol.

Has anyone else actually witnessed this happening with their fish?

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There is always a bigger fish...

I recall reading that certain cichlids, though by no means all, are capable of protandry/ogyny, most of which are markedly colonial Africans.

All of my readings do in fact reffer to the Rift Lake Cichlids.

I was mostly just wondering if anyone else has every witnessed this happening?

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There is always a bigger fish...

No; I'm not a big African guy, keeping in mind there are several SA species which share this characteristic as well.

Last edited by Cup_of_Lifenoodles at 25-Jul-2005 15:36

I have never heard of that before but it sounds really cool. You might want to try some other sites and ask around. Good luck!!

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
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I have never seen it happen though i suspect I've done the same reading as yourself....as i believe it can.

I do also know that in the abscents of a Male a female will assume the dominant role, often developing male coloring, however I don't think the can change there actual sex and have the ability to reproduce as marine fish do.

Let me know how it all turns out

Female sword tails can become males right

10gallon: 8neons 5gallon: 1betta
1oto
2platys

I wonder if Frontosa can...I always hear alot of stories of how their large alpha male turned out to be a female and the subdominant one was the male..also how they would vent the girls and one would turn out to be a guy later on.