Why Swordtail change gender?

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Dyood

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Jan 3, 2020
Messages
22
Just wondering why one of my female swordtail has changed gender, I had three females to 1 male, but now I have 2 males, I know if one male isnt dominant enough or becomes infertile, another becomes male but I can tell you, my male shows its dominance, and has impregnated my fish multiple times.

So I'm just curious on what other reason this may have happened.

She/he has never been pregnant, and always been with my male, she would always try and escape my male when he did his dance.
 
From what I understand swordtails don't change genders but some males are late bloomers as it were. Since your "female" was never pregnant with a fertile male around I'm thinking "she" was one of these slow maturing males.

Because I was curious I went looking for the article I'd come to this conclusion by. I couldn't find the exact one but I found another. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...FjAOegQICBAB&usg=AOvVaw1BXkqKRb-CHoERDa3wjneM

In it there is speculation that species/strain of the sword might effect various parts of this and that hermaphrodites might be part of the phenomenon as well.

Fascinating topic.
 
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