Sex change in Apistos???

["Nuno Prazeres" <nprazeres@vodafone.pt>]

Hi All,

somebody just shared with me the following:

after a few unsuccesful spawns of a A. cacatuoides couple (the fry was always eaten by cory cats) the male died. Sooner afterwards the female start growing and getting more colourful until a stage in which she looked just like her former mate.

Now, a new trio was just introduced in the tank and the new male just dominated the goup including the original fish. Giving behavioural issues we can get to the conclusion the original fish seemed to have turned into a sexual active male.

I suggested to take out the dominant fish to see if it would be possible to get a viable fertilized spawn from a coulple whose male was a spawning female a few months ago. That would be something!

Anyone had such an odd experience?

I read something like this about Dicrossus filamentosus and know apisto's sex is indeed influenced to a certain extent by external factors but thought that when the fish's sex is determined it would be for life. The external influence would be acting to drive the fish from a unsexed situation to a sexed one and that would be it.

What are the factors that might cause a fish's body to "decide" to change sex? If this case is indeed such a thing I would say social or ecological factors would apply just like what happens in the case of the D. filamentosus.

Take care all

Nuno Prazeres
(Portugal)


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