# Melanochromis Auratus



## YeLLowLab60 (May 19, 2008)

There's a website that mentions that these Mbuna can switch genders. I've heard that they can adopt each other's colors but does the gender of the fish change as well? Also I've read that they're extremely aggressive, is this aggression within the species or to tankmates as well. Articles tend to say certain fish are highly aggressive i.e. Ps. Demasoni but its within the species not so much to others with the exception of look alikes. So any info is greatly appreciated.


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## bulldogg7 (Mar 3, 2003)

this one changed colors, and is mean as heck to her own species.
do you have a link for that site? I don't think cichlids actually change gender but like to read stuff on it.


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## remarkosmoc (Oct 19, 2005)

Cichlids don't change sexes. Auratus juvies all look like females , then the males turn color. There are some rare females that look like males or vice versa, but I've never heard of any changing sex, just color.


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## YeLLowLab60 (May 19, 2008)

well this is the website that hosted the gender changing info:

http://badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/profile52.html

I know the juvies are yellow but I wasn't concerned about that, just because it's evident but like the fish in the pic she completely looks like a male. Could this stop (real) males from mating with them or increase aggression?


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## bulldogg7 (Mar 3, 2003)

in my tank, every male I tried she either killed or harrased them to the point I had to get rid of them. Even tried a group of 2 females and one male, she corralled the females into a cave and killed the male, like maybe she thought she was a male.
Where is their info coming from?


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## YeLLowLab60 (May 19, 2008)

I have no idea where their info is coming from, but thats crazy how your fish did that is she pretty big?


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## bulldogg7 (Mar 3, 2003)

She is now, she was around 3.5"when I introduced the group, that's when she permanently changed colors. Now she's around 5 inches and I think it's hopeless for her, unless i can find one big baddA male and a new tank.


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## remarkosmoc (Oct 19, 2005)

That's interesting. If that website is correct, which I'm not sure it is, that it can actually change sex. I've seen several people post on forums their male-colored female, but haven't heard of anyone witness a sex change.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I am repeating the wisdom of others, but this question comes up from time to time, and mods confirm Malawi cichlids cannot change gender.

There ARE some marine fish that can. But not Malawi. (I believe not any cichlid, but I'm less sure of the others.)


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## wilki742 (Feb 20, 2019)

We have 2 males in a 55 gallon tank with other Malawi species. They are both extremely aggressive, not only with each other, but with every fish in the tank. One of them is the same as in your picture. I believe it's a "Gold mbuna" - yellow stripe. We have a white stripe male too. Females are moderately aggressive with tankmates, males are highly intolerant. In the absence of a male, females have the ability to change their coloring to appear as males, but without changing sex. The dominant female will usually assume the male coloration while the others will retain the female appearance. Males will very rarely change to female coloring.

Links about this species, specifically to the question of aggression and color change:
http://www.tfhmagazine.com/details/fish ... is-auratus

http://animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/c ... uratus.php


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

There was a recently documented case of auratus changing sex. This was reported by a well-known Malawi researcher in a controlled tank experiment with conditions created to encourage the result. You don't hear about it much, so I assume it is fairly rare.


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## fmueller (Jan 11, 2004)

Jay Stauffer has published about sex reversal in Malawi cichlids as early as 2008. It's a fascinating subject, and also fascinating that this receives so little attention. I have a feeling that people find this so freaky, they'd rather not know about it.

http://www.fmueller.com/pdf/cichlids-sex-reversal.pdf


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