Bartlett's Anthias Changing Male/Hiding

PDR · Dec 11, 2015

I purchased a trio of bartletts anthias several months ago and lost the male to jumping about 2 weeks in. Since then the dominate female has started to show signs of turning male, but for the last 3-4 days he has been hiding in the rocks and has not come out at all that I have seen. I can see him fine, and he definitely now looks full blown male, and doesn't seem stressed and there is no aggression that I have ever witnessed. He is swimming within the rocks and eating when food floats by, just won't come out.

Is this normal when an anthias is finishing changing from female to male?

eatbreakfast · Dec 12, 2015

PDR said:
I purchased a trio of bartletts anthias several months ago and lost the male to jumping about 2 weeks in. Since then the dominate female has started to show signs of turning male, but for the last 3-4 days he has been hiding in the rocks and has not come out at all that I have seen. I can see him fine, and he definitely now looks full blown male, and doesn't seem stressed and there is no aggression that I have ever witnessed. He is swimming within the rocks and eating when food floats by, just won't come out.

Is this normal when an anthias is finishing changing from female to male?

No, it's not normal, the bartlett should be behaving more dominantly, not less.

If it is hiding but seems otherwise healthy I would look for an aggressor or chasing.