What are my odds of a Lyretail Anthias transformation?

[jayteerq]

I currently have one female anthias. It’s doing great. Want to get it a partner. What are my odds of seeing one of them transform into a male? Is it a gamble? Or is it almost definite?

Also, when they do start their transformation how long does those things typically take like a day? A month? Six months?

Just asking because I would love to document this and have it on Video

 

[UtahReefer]

It just happens... One will eventually turn male. I have four Lyretails. One turned to male quickly after I got them. About a month after a second turned male and the fight was on. The weird thing is that the original male started to turn its color back to a female, didn't know this could happen. Not sure if the transformation back to female happens but the two are better together now with minor chasing.

 

[Doctorgori]

semi deviation…

Short version:
this is actually a semi interesting topic as I’ve never figured out exactly what makes a fish flip sexes…

TLDR version:
I had a quad of lyretails that slowly disintegrated into none (or so Ithought)
…I later purchased SEVERAL batches of dispars anthias that always came in emeciated or with uronema or whatever… (this vendor has a spotty track record, but I digress)
..point being I never got a coherent school….eventually only 2 survived
…much later (weeks) and out emerged a single female Lyretail…she semi joined the other dispars but the mixed species school integration was more “Boston” than LA …basically the Lyretail flipped to a male and sorta integrates with the dispars …

any additions to the school are viciously and immediately deleted by the male Lyretail …the female dispars have not flipped …. I “think” the male Lyretail somehow prevents the transition…

I can’t seen to locate other threads on this topic, but surely the must exist

 

[MERKEY]

Usually it's better to get groups and then 1 will turn.

Sometimes getting 2 at different times makes them both want to be the dominant one and try to change and then they end fighting to the death.

It's really a roll of the dice.

 

[Doctorgori]

Usually it's better to get groups and then 1 will turn.

Sometimes getting 2 at different times makes them both want to be the dominant one and try to change and then they end fighting to the death.

It's really a roll of the dice.

to further complicate this, it appears females can become “stuck” in transition, or rather there seems to be a “semi dominate” model in between male and female… In Lyretails it’s not just that the larger females are dominate, they also appear to be in a more “robust” body build…
This isn’t my imagination, but something I’ve observed often but never properly documented…. it’s not just a faster growth difference/ environmental thing per se, but perhaps a normal/ social/ behavioral driven thing…

Basically it appears to be a pecking order amongst the girls too
Disclaimer: what I just laid down is plausible/anecdotal/neophyte level stuff