Female guppy turning into male

[Guppendler]

Attachment 52775

I noticed that some females could actually turn into males. This phenomenon is pretty interesting as the females started out as per norm mating and breeding like any normal females. And then one fine day, their bodies start to color up (see picture above) and their gravid spots start to disappear and the anal fins start to develop into the male sex organs. I'm not sure if such transformed males are fertile as I do not see them chasing the normal females much, if at all. I read somewhere that such transformed males if were to mate with normal females, the offspring would turn out to be all females.

It seems to be that the female changing into male phenomena is more prevalent in blonde guppies.

Does anyone have such similar encounter?

[exotic_idiot]

It's interesting to know that they can switch sexes.
Do you separate them when they can be sex?

[Guppendler]

No I do not. And i do not breed such transformed males either. I know such sex change, from female to male, is common with Platy and swordtails and it's possible with guppy to lesser frequency. Am not sure what triggers the change - temperature, pH, genetics...???? Am hoping some one can give a better insight into this

[TheAquarist]

I heard that they change gender when either side are lacking 'manpower'


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[Guppendler]

The change is only one way actually from female to male. It has never happened for male becoming female.