Mbuna capable of sex reversal

[PsYcHoTiC_MaDmAn]

http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/item.php?news=1826

have to admit having my doubts.

“We initially identified the sex of all individuals by color and length of the pelvic fins; subsequently, we examined the urogenital openings to support our initial determination.

I do wonder if they were 100% correct with their initial sexing

[Lisachromis]

I'd be more believing if they could prove the sexes by previous breedings, and not by methods that are not 100% reliable.

[Mack Emmons]

I concur, a more reliable method of sexing should be used to ensure that the fish are in fact of that gender.

[Kyle May]

I've heard of species of birds that could change sexes in an emergency....but never fish...

Kyle

[michi tobler]

There is actually quite a few fish... but I have never heard of a bird. Anyway, so far I know only of one cichlid species in which functional sex reversal has been shown (Crenicara punctulata).
Cheers,m

[michi tobler]

There is actually quite a few fish... but I have never heard of a bird. Anyway, so far I know only of one cichlid species in which functional sex reversal has been shown (Crenicara punctulata).
Cheers,m

[Mark Smith]

Antecdotal but....I posted awhile back on one of the Tanganyikan threads that I had a large aquarium with 4 adult, wild caught, Lepidiolamprologus nkambae, with one male and three females. Very easy to sex, as the genital opening in all three females was approximately 3 mm wide, while in the male only 1 mm wide. The male was also 1 cm longer in length with greater body mass. Soon after recieving them, the male paired off with one female and spawned, producing approximately 100 fry. 5 more spawns took place around every 30 to 35 days. Six months later the male went blind and died. About one month after that, two of the females paired off and spawned, producing approx. 50 fry.

The only explanations I can come up with is that the female, which paired off with the originally spawning female, changed its sex to that of a male, or it was a male all along, mimicking a female so convincingly, that even its genital opening appeard like that of a females genital opening.