leopard wrasse

[dogum99]

So apparently my white and black female wrasse wasn't happy being female anymore. He is now green and a pinkish purple. I thought they would only change sex if a group of females were in the tank together. Would I be able to put a new female leopard wrasse in the same tank?

 

[chort55]

No they will change while being solo as well if they feel the "need" to do so. What other fish do you have in the tank and have you noticed anyone harassing her/him at all?


Adding females shouldn't be much of a problem, but make sure they are smaller.

 

[dogum99]

2 clowns, melanurus wrase leopard wrasse and powder blue. I added the powder blue a few weeks ago. The powder blue I've seen chase around my melanurus wrasse but not my leopard that I know of.

 

[chort55]

Could be from the melanurus. Maybe not even a threat or harassing the leopard, but the leopard could see its presence as a reason to make the switch, is it a male or female melanurus, and what size tank do you have?

 

[dogum99]

Pretty sure its a male melanurus. They have been in the same tank for over 2 years never once have i seen any harrassment. I have 125g tank.

 

[chort55]

Very easily could have just decided it was tired of being a female. They don't always have an apparent reason so its hard to say, but those are the things I would suspect as potential causes. I have a female that has been in captivity for 2-3 years now and is about 4 inches no signs of changing, and my LFS has 2 bipartitus leopards that the manager wants to watch change.... been there together for atleast 6 months now no change despite the one being much larger even.... and they hang together all the time in a 300g

 

[evolved]

I would suspect the presence of the melanurus as the trigger to initiate the change as well.

 

[Toomnymods]

I love Leopard wrasses do you have a pic of yours??