Will Wrasse Change Sex?

[Matthew Meyer]

If I have two different types of female wrasse, will one of them change to male?

I want to add more wrasse, but I do now want to chance my current Female Blue Stare Leopard Wrasse changing to male.

Thanks

 

[H2OPlayar]

Maybe, over time I have heard of some wrasses (the fairy and flasher wrasse specifically) changing from female to male. I don't know about leopards, a quick r2r search says maybe, but not as likely for the Leopard.

 

[Kensington Reefer]

How old is your oldest fish?

 

[popper]

Why not? We're in California and everybody is accepted with love.

 

[tankguy]

I don’t think the leopards do change

 

[Qwiv]

Every reference on the Google Machine says they can change it up.

"When the male dies, the dominant female will then transform into the male sex. They also get completely different patterns and colours. This colour and sex change can last up to 4 years in the aquarium and almost only happens if several specimens live in the aquarium (pairing)."

"Leopard Wrasses are also protogynous hermaphrodites and have the potential to change color phases three times in their life. All Leopard Wrasses are born female and they will have female coloration when they are in their juvenile phase. Females become sexually mature during their Initial Phase and their colors will brighten. Then during the terminal phase, the most dominant female becomes the male in a harem. These may also be called secondary males."

"Hermaphroditic - This species can change gender from female to male.
When a male is needed, a female changes sex and takes on the role."

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I would expect you would need a harem of the same species to specifically cause the change in sex. It would not make sense for them to change sex because of the the presence of a different species, but it would make sense for any female to change without the presence of a male at all at some point in their life.

 

[JVU]

Every reference on the Google Machine says that can change it up.

"When the male dies, the dominant female will then transform into the male sex. They also get completely different patterns and colours. This colour and sex change can last up to 4 years in the aquarium and almost only happens if several specimens live in the aquarium (pairing)."

"Leopard Wrasses are also protogynous hermaphrodites and have the potential to change color phases three times in their life. All Leopard Wrasses are born female and they will have female coloration when they are in their juvenile phase. Females become sexually mature during their Initial Phase and their colors will brighten. Then during the terminal phase, the most dominant female becomes the male in a harem. These may also be called secondary males."

"Hermaphroditic - This species can change gender from female to male.
When a male is needed, a female changes sex and takes on the role."

Picky point but they are sequential hermaphrodites, not hermaphrodites. Since they switch, as opposed to having all the equipment at the same time.