Can fish change sex?

KarlTh said:
They can't. Late developing males often appear female although apparently full grown, and old females can grow swords and even a gonopodium, but there's no recorded case of a functional female turning into a functional male.
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Actually I have seen this sex changing thing happen with my sword tails in the past in my very own tank. The male dies so the dominant female takes on the role of the male if another male is not introduced into the tank in due time. Now weather or not this fish was actually a female that changed to a male without the presence of a male or it it as you said and the fish was just late in the development of the sex organs I do not know. All I know is it seemed very odd to me that that kind of thing could even happen in nature.:confused:

Marinemom
 
Kinda creepy!!
 
Marinemom said:
Actually I have seen this sex changing thing happen with my sword tails in the past in my very own tank. The male dies so the dominant female takes on the role of the male if another male is not introduced into the tank in due time. Now weather or not this fish was actually a female that changed to a male without the presence of a male or it it as you said and the fish was just late in the development of the sex organs I do not know. All I know is it seemed very odd to me that that kind of thing could even happen in nature.:confused:

Marinemom
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Or it may be a female which developed male characteristics, in which case it would not have been a fertile male. The point is, no-one's actually documented a female which has given birth to fry turn into a male which has then fertilised females - i.e. a true sex change. Apparent females turning into males, and/or females turning into apparent males, yes, seen it myself.
 
KarlTh said:
Or it may be a female which developed male characteristics, in which case it would not have been a fertile male. The point is, no-one's actually documented a female which has given birth to fry turn into a male which has then fertilised females - i.e. a true sex change. Apparent females turning into males, and/or females turning into apparent males, yes, seen it myself.
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It is documented but it appears to depend on the strain. This was published in 1979...

http://www.springerlink.com/content/k655j62744u57m24/
 
I wish i could change sex, just long enough to understand what the heck my GF is talking about 94% of the time!

And it wouldn't be so bad is someone bought ME a drink once in a while!

(then later, I'd change back in the bathroom, and sneak out!)
 
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zigman.. that sounds like mrs doubtfire?? lol
 
I didnt even know fish (or anything for that matter) could change their sex........werid.....
 
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