Endlers changing sex

[Vizerdrix]

Has anyone had any experience with this?

I recently (about 3 1/2 weeks ago) got a bunch of hybrid Endlers fry.  They are presently housed in a 10g unheated, with some frogbite floating on top and a bit of java moss on the bottom.  One of them was starting to show male colouring already, and was the only one (granted, a lot of the fry were still quite small) out of all the larger ones.  I checked all their anal fins when I got them, and all of the big ones (apart from that one obvious male) had rounded ones.

Now, some of the these large ones have developed gonopodiums and are starting to colour up, but slowly.  These fish are not streamlined like the regular male, they look like females (big and rounded).

I found a little bit of info on the net about this phenomena, but there isn't much there.  I'd like to know what these sex-changed males will look like.  Will they lengthen out?  Will they look like colourful females?  Should I keep them?

Thanks!

[Laura]

There's at least one other thread on this, but I wasn't able to find it.

My recollection is that the experts among us said it was not possible for them to switch genders, but that those who appear to are simply late bloomers.  Many fry appear to have female finage and colouring until they mature.

Given that, I would still swear when I kept guppies o-so-many years ago, that one mature female developed into a male.  Of course my recollection could be tainted by the many years, but there you go.....

[Dr. Ashtray]

I contacted Tony Griffitts at www.aquaworlaquarium.com He had successfully created a neato strain of hybrid endlers by crossing them with a guppy species.  I wanted to get a hold of some of these but they had been sold of long ago.  In speaking with Tony he mentioned that he had seen Hermaphroditic endlers and sent me a photo of one of them.  It basically looked like a female with male colouration and no gravid spot.  I got one of these without colour in my Thailand Fancy Double Swords.  She is still alive an swimming around and has never created one offspring.  If I can find the photo of the Hermaphroditic endler I will post it.

Cheers!!

Jeffrey...

[babblefish1960]

Being an hermaphrodite is not the same as changing gender, it is a genetic anomaly that is found throughout the animal kingdom, humans included.  Though there are some species of fish that do in the most extreme of circumstances, have the ability to switch gender, it is not something done willy nilly, and with the endlers, it seems to be, in my experience at least, just the difference in stature of fish as they mature.  The fish in question in this thread were moving beyond being juveniles to sexual maturity, until sexual maturation, it can be exceedingly difficult to predict gender, as not only are they young, but they are subjugated to social hierarchy.  When a male is trying really hard to go unnoticed by the bullies in the tank, they tend toward what is called pseudo gender identification. Which is to say that they will take on the affectations of the female behaviour, and suppress their male colouration and appropriate fin growth to avoid being clobbered by the male capo of the tank.

This is merely my observation and of course, there may be some information out there outside of my experience.

[Dr. Ashtray]

I somewhat agree with your insight on Endlers.  I don't believe it is possible for them to change gender per se.  I have had more experience with endlers than most mind you.  In my 15 years, give or take, that I have been keeping them I have never encountered any gender changing with endlers.  I have never seen hermaphroditic traits either.  I just contacted Tony again and am waiting for him to send me the shot of the Hermy endler.  I have, as stated by Babble, seen and heard of other species changing gender when necessary. 

Jeffrey...

[Vizerdrix]

Thanks, this is very interesting!  I love the intellectual incites given.