Serranocirrhitus latus - Fathead Anthias - Sexing?

[mpedersen]

Ok, so I am the fortunate recipient of a nice Serranocirrhitus latus which I received in trade for a slew of Xenia propagations. It has gone into our Percula tank as a replacement fish for Renee's wrasse and flame angelfish that had to go (due to their egg eating habits).

So, how do I sex Serranocirrhitus latus? Anyone have any pictures they can post that might help?

Matt

[mpedersen]

Here's the reproduction/sexing/general info that's pertinent that I've found to date:

From : http://www.wetwebmedia.com/serranocirrhitus.htm

Tankspace/Broodstock Setup

Males of this species will definitely go after each other... particularly in competition for females to add/keep to their harem. Unless you have a hundred gallons plus, I would stick with just one male.

Dichromatism / Dimorphism

Females (especially in the presence of males) are more pink, lighter orange overall, and definitely smaller, less "steep-headed".

From : http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/ ... 2/Fish.htm

Broodstock Setup

You can keep more than one fathead anthias in the same tank. Males are more likely to quarrel among themselves, while females tend to be less aggressive. Therefore, you should try and acquire a male-female pair, two females, or a male and two females.

Dichromatism / Dimorphism

Unfortunately, there are no known color differences between the sexes. To increase the chances of acquiring a pair, purchase individuals that differ significantly in size. Like other anthias, this species is a protogynous hermaphrodite (i.e., some females change into males). On average, male fathead anthias tend to be larger than females. If you want to keep a trio, try and acquire one larger individual and two smaller S. latus. In my observations of pairs and trios in the wild, one individual (presumably the male) was always larger than the other(s). You can reduce the likelihood of intraspecific aggression if you give your pair or trio of fatheads plenty of room to spread out (i.e., a larger tank).

From : http://www.vividaquariums.com/10Expand. ... 01-1312-01

It's worth noting that this vendor offers them at 2 sizes, which would make getting females vs. males potentially a bit easier.

On Hermaphrodism

Anthias species are all hermaphroditic. This means that if a dominant male dies, the largest female will often morph into a male and take its place in the hierarchy.

Broodstock Setup

They are best kept singly unless you have a larger tank of 100 gallons or more. When keeping in groups it is best to select individuals of various sizes and to add them all at the same time.

While there are MANY other sources of information on this species, there isn't mch additional in the way of sexing or breeding information. I should mention however that there is a lot of CONFLICTING information out there regarding this species. Some sources refer to this fish as being a very hardy anthias option, others suggest this is a very poor shipper and sensitive species. (i.e. one source suggests this is a 0-DOA type species when being imported, while some online retailers won't even guarantee live delivery because it's too delicate of a shipper - those are two vary disparate takes on this fish).

The same can be said for this species when it comes to intraspecific aggression; i.e. some places suggest that only one per tank be kept, others highly encourage the keeping of mated pairs, and still others suggest harems as being acceptable situations, just to limit the number of males present to 1 in a 100 gallon aquarium.

That's the info I've dug up so far...

Matt

[TheMcs]

In my hobby years prior to running a LFS, I saw one fathead for sale. I ordered a few and finally gave up, we had a 100% mortality rate with them over 1.5 years from various vendors. I gave it one more try, ordering one for myself. When the shipment came in, I left it in the bag and took it straight home. Since these are delicate shippers, and I do believe with some fish a slow acclimation can be lethal (ammonia in the bag water is amplified when the bag is opened to fresh air (oxygen), raising the pH back up), I allowed a 15-20 temp float, then the anthias was netted out and placed directly in the tank. I didn't see it for the 1st two days but continued early morning feedings while the lights were off. Day three it came out, within 2 weeks it was a comfortable citizen of the tank. It has since been moved over to my 185 display which employs a huge cave for his comfort (tank is brightly lit with 8x80w T5s). Almost two years now with this one and he's a family favorite. I never had tried dried foods, but he will eat any frozen meat fare offered.

[lance]

I would love to be able to tell you how to sex a sunburst anthais I'm trying to breed them and I have not yet figured out any sort of sign or something to show a difference as soon as i know you'll know. lol

[mpedersen]

Did you guys happen to catch my attempt at breeding this species (after posting this thread back in 2007)? http://www.marinebreeder.org/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=923

[TheMcs]

I did see it mpederson, hopefully we can achieve some success based on your groundwork!