Thalasstronaut
Active Member
Hello, I feel like this might be a common question, but I’ve searched without success.
I currently have 5 Fiji lyretail anthias. I ordered all female and got them maybe two weeks ago.
From the get go, I noticed all 2 were ever so slightly paler and smaller. Those don’t seem to flair their fins as much. The other three are a slightly darker orange, and more importantly, have the prominent dorsal spike.
My question is, if there is a visible dorsal spike, is that a clear indication of a transition beginning? Or do females technically have it, but since they don’t flair their dorsal fins as often, it’s just not noticeable?
I guess I’m asking is when is an lt Anthias officially “not a female” anymore? Am I right in thinking that multiple transitioning males is an unsustainable population? The ones who don’t become fully male won’t become females again, they’ll either continue or just have the transition paused, yes? And I imagine represent a greater danger to first male to emerge vs having just females?
The lip locking dominance fighting has begun, is there a point at which it’s wise to intervene and yank one of the fish or is it better to let them sort out their hierarchy? The fighting has just occurred between the larger, spike having fish.
Should I write two of the larger ones off as a loss and rehome them or is there a chance this works out well? The only other fish I have more than one of is my clowns and they became fast friends, there was never any fighting. So I’m looking for a responsible aquarist’s line in the same for when the social fighting and hierarchy setting becomes too dangerous or unacceptable for the fish.
Thanks in advance.
I currently have 5 Fiji lyretail anthias. I ordered all female and got them maybe two weeks ago.
From the get go, I noticed all 2 were ever so slightly paler and smaller. Those don’t seem to flair their fins as much. The other three are a slightly darker orange, and more importantly, have the prominent dorsal spike.
My question is, if there is a visible dorsal spike, is that a clear indication of a transition beginning? Or do females technically have it, but since they don’t flair their dorsal fins as often, it’s just not noticeable?
I guess I’m asking is when is an lt Anthias officially “not a female” anymore? Am I right in thinking that multiple transitioning males is an unsustainable population? The ones who don’t become fully male won’t become females again, they’ll either continue or just have the transition paused, yes? And I imagine represent a greater danger to first male to emerge vs having just females?
The lip locking dominance fighting has begun, is there a point at which it’s wise to intervene and yank one of the fish or is it better to let them sort out their hierarchy? The fighting has just occurred between the larger, spike having fish.
Should I write two of the larger ones off as a loss and rehome them or is there a chance this works out well? The only other fish I have more than one of is my clowns and they became fast friends, there was never any fighting. So I’m looking for a responsible aquarist’s line in the same for when the social fighting and hierarchy setting becomes too dangerous or unacceptable for the fish.
Thanks in advance.
