Clown Fish Mating

[patrick seastar]

Is it possible for a smaller female clown fish to shake & submit to a larger male?

 

[woody390]

What makes you think female is smaller one? As far as I understand female will always be dominant and bigger


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[patrick seastar]

What makes you think female is smaller one? As far as I understand female will always be dominant and bigger


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Sure but, if you have a clown fish that has been by it's self like mine for a year it's said that it will probably be female by then. So if you then take a male who is larger then my female but not larger than it's current dominant female mate then it could be. That's one way to have a larger male & a smaller younger fish who has already become female. The question still stands.

 

[woody390]

Is this something you have found then or just an interest. May be wrong but I understood immature males turn into females but didn't think mature males did? Could be wrong though


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[patrick seastar]

It's the fact that I have one year 1/2 first ocellaris that's been by it's own & another larger male (male because it was co-existing & submitting with a 4 inch larger one) but my first clown submits occasionally & then frecently charges the larger one. It makes me think that my first is female. According to ocellaris clown fish.com "First, to be clear, all clown fish are born gender neutral. They are not male nor female at birth and as juveniles." So immature fish are asexual. Also "If the female were to die, then the dominant male would change to female and the next male in line would become the mate." So yes, a mature male can change to female later on according to this. Either way, I'm selling it because my smaller clown is taking a beating & I'm definitely not risking my first ever saltwater fish. I feel sorry for the one I'm selling since most fish end up dead with novices or people experimenting.

 

[Sillyfishies]

When I got my tank, he had 1 larger clown in one tank and 1 smaller clown in another. Both had been separate for many months, so it's logical to say that they are both female. When I inherited the tank, I put them both in together. The larger one (who had been separate for about a year) is the one that is submissive. Kind of weird but they're fine together.

 

[Mattyfelts]

i beleive one will still act as female and one as male, if not change genders.

 

[Sillyfishies]

i beleive one will still act as female and one as male, if not change genders.

Once a clown becomes female it can no longer become male.