Purple Queen changing...

[MIKE NY]

I have had many species of Anthias over the years so I have witness females changing into males. but never with my school of Purple Queens...I lost the male about a year ago and none of the other females stepped up until I recently when I added a couple of more females...now the largest female is losing the yellow stripes and it's dorsel and tail are growing streamers. It also doesn't stay with the group as much and it's appetite has really picked up...just curious has anyone else who is keeping them experience this...

 

[Bry17nyc]

How are you able to keep the school of purple queen anthias

 

[prattreef]

Mike, you are one of the very few who have any longterm success with them--a real achievement I might add--- I'll pass this along to Matt Wandell at the Steinhart in SF who I believe has considerable experience with them. FWIW, my group of 5 dwindled pretty rapidly to 1 individual that has been hanging on for many months now, but is a rather unspectacular and sad looking example of this fantastic species.

 

[prattreef]

Matt's response:

"That has not been my experience with the purple queens at all. They all turn into males for me. Do you know how often he feeds them? The current situation in my tank is that there is one fat Supermale that is the only survivor from the group I added seven years ago. I recently added two females about a year ago and it doesn't seem like they're going to change into males.

I think the key to keeping them females is to have a very clearly defined Supermail in the tank, but if you start with a bunch of females they will all turn at the same time.

It really should only take about a month for them to start changing if they're fat and healthy."

He'd be happy to talk with you about them. If you are interested, let me know and I'll put you in touch.

 

[salpet]

i bought 3 lyertail 3 months ago they were all females and the largest one turned into a male in about 1 month now i see him chasing the next largest one and not ever bother the smallest one i think(my guess) its because he wants to keep them both from turning

 

[MIKE NY]

Randy..thanks for the response and reaching out to Matt for me....its funny that Matt and yourself mentioned supper male and the dwindling down of the school which what happened to me a few years ago leaving me with one large male...I then added females, but the male died last year...after recently adding more females the largest is now changing which started about two weeks ago, but I noticed the other females are now not eating with the same enthusiasm as they once were..I hope the dwindling trend doesn't start....I have alot of fish so I feed them multiple times a day with a "chum" consisting of many different types of foods ...mostly of Larry's and Rod's products, flakes,pellets... also including NutraMar and cyclopeeze when I can find them..I also feed fresh chopped Ulva I collect from the beach which many fish eat especially my PBT and Angels...

 

[MIKE NY]

i bought 3 lyertail 3 months ago they were all females and the largest one turned into a male in about 1 month now i see him chasing the next largest one and not ever bother the smallest one i think(my guess) its because he wants to keep them both from turning

correct to show dominance and possibly to spawn if the chasing is in the early morning or late afternoon when the main lights go out...My Lyretails would spawn on a regular basis which fed the whole tank especially my Purple Queens, Dispars other fish that enjoyed smaller food items...

 

[MIKE NY]

here is a pic of the school which shoal with my Dispars and Randalls..


and a close up of the changing male..the yellow in it's tail is gone and the stripes are fading on it's body ... streamers are also starting to form on it's tail and dorsel...

 

[OOtzie]

very cool

 

[MIKE NY]

update..well the male has fully changed, he is beautiful, but so did it's personality....it killled of all , but one of the females and the last one looks like it's on the way out....it just wouldn't let them out to eat and they just stopped trying...they need constant small feedings throughout the day or they dont have a chance

 

[piranhapat]

Sorry to hear that. Males are super aggressive. I stop buying Anthis because my male lyertail killled all my females. Mike at least you have a rare Male. I hated the chasing in my tank. Once they change Anthis are nasty..

 

[ohana888]

oh dang - sorry to hear...and i just saw these beauties!!!

 

[MIKE NY]

just have the male and not attempting to add any more females....he eats everything small from pellets and flakes to mysis...