Tuxedo platy gemini
- Thread starter Amielizzy
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
okapizebra
Aquarium Advice Addict
That's a male.
Andy Sager
Aquarium Advice Addict
All livebearers appear to be females until the gonopodium is developed so you shouldn't see the gonopodium "disappear" from time to time. Once it completely develops, it stays that way. ( There is debate on whether male livebearers can change to females while it is known that females can/do change to males.) Until it fully develops, you may see the fin open from time to time.
In your pics, the gold one is also a male.
In your pics, the gold one is also a male.
emeraldking
Aquarium Advice Freak
Both platies shown are males.
emeraldking
Aquarium Advice Freak
Male livebearers won't change into female because an anal fin that has developed into a gonopodium can not be reverted. If there's a sex change, then it's only from female to male.
Andy Sager
Aquarium Advice Addict
I'm on your side of that debate.
I've never had that happen. Years ago, when I was more active in the debate, there were some that insisted it did. Since I've seen a lot when it comes to fish but have not seen EVERYTHING, all I could do was tell what I've experienced and not argue the point. ( But I'd want visual evidence of it happening before I'd change sides. )
emeraldking
Aquarium Advice Freak
I'm on your side of that debate.
Well, once the anal fin of a male changes into a gonopodium, the structure also changes with it. And is irreversible. All newborn fry within the Xiphophorus genus are phenotypical female to start with. Genotypical is the other story. With the extra sex chromosome "W" besides X and Y, that "can" occur in platies, makes it possible that females born with the W sex chromosome in combination with Y or X, can change sex. All XX females remain female. The only problem is that we're not able to see it from the outside of the fish.
Females with a WX or WY combination are born with both male and female gonads. When it comes to fertility of WX and WY females when transformed into male, the WY females are better off. Those will become functional males. With WX females that undergo a sex change are less fertile in general. Most likely, the X influence does that. But WX females can also absorb the male gonads. If that happens, such a female will remain female.
Because of the many crosses between platies and swordtails to establish more fancy strains, the W sex chromosome "can" (so, doesn't have to) also be found in a number of fancy swordtails.
The W sex chromosome is not to be found in pure swordtails. The sex change in pure swordtails works different. That has got to do with an autosomal locus with two alleles, A and a, which affects sex determination in XX fish.
Very old swordtail females that show male characteristics won't become males. There's a story going on that they will change into male. But this happens to old females that aren't reproductive anymore. Just like humans, they'll have a hormonal change. This hormonal change triggers a higher activity of the MSX genes. The MSX genes are responsible for the morphological change in finnage. That's why very old females can develop elongated outer finrays in both caudal as anal fin. But it won't become a male as it remains a female.
Andy Sager
Aquarium Advice Addict
This was my argument exactly.
Some just didn't want to hear it. 
( I no longer talk to these people. )
emeraldking
Aquarium Advice Freak
This was my argument exactly.
There will always be people who think they know it all. Most of the time, those are people that recently joined the aquatic hobby. If you'd ask to explain this transition from male to female, a 100% chance that they can't explain.
What I've noticed, is that there are a lot of people (mostly young people), who love to boss around on forums. And think they're superior in aquatic knowledge. What? 1, 2, 3 years they've kept a fish tank? And they think they know it all... And I don't want to insult young people, by all means. But in general, the ones who do behave like this are mostly young people...
I'm one of those fish nerds who like to dive into the deeper science of it.
emeraldking
Aquarium Advice Freak
Btw, just a question out of curiosity...
The name Gemini, is that the name of this platy how they call it in your country? For over here it's called a Hawaii platy. Well, not every country has got the same name for a specific strain. That's why I've asked...
Andy Sager
Aquarium Advice Addict
Im not sure if this was a dig i never said i know it all i just wasnt sure on sex im very new to fish keeping and want to learn everything there is about my babies [emoji1]
emeraldking
Aquarium Advice Freak
No, I wasn't referring to you when I made this remark.
