Any experience with Leopard Wrasse transitioning to male?

[JeanR]

For the last 2 months my female leopard wrasse has been behaving very bizarrely. I've had her for over a year and she was fat and happy until a few months ago. Back in July/August I noticed she stopped eating and I rarely saw her out. Now 2 months later I see her out but she is mostly sitting on the bottom of the tank breathing heavily. Her color has clearly changed and I am seeing a lot of blue, though the body conditioning is deteriorating (much skinnier and the fins are looking rough). Originally I thought she got sick but now I am wondering if she might be transitioning to male. Anyone have any experience with this process they can share?

 

[FREAKINRICAN69]

I’m not certain but tagging along as I have one.

 

[bwils]

When my black leopard transitioned to male he would hide much more often but never lost weight, when he started coming back out he was definitely transitioning and became much more active. He never had stressed breathing or beat up fins. After he transitioned he beat up my blue star that he got along with until he transitioned, she was a female and he was just showing dominance, she had beat up fins and stressed breathing, I put her in qt and once better I introduced back to dt with an acclimation box and all was fine.

What other fish are in the tank? The hierarchy might have been upset and a fish that was fine with her as female might be trying to assert dominance now that she is changing. I would remove her to a hospital tank for a little bit until she can get some weight back and add some treatment for the fins. I’m no expert just my opinion and it help my wrasses. Good luck

 

[PSU4ME]

Post pics. Them going more blue def sounds like it’s transitioning but not sure why it’s getting skinny. Was it dewormed?

 

[Anutka72]

My blue star leopard wrasse transitioned over a few weeks, there were no change in behavior or anything like not eating or looking unwell. The only thing that changed was the female coloration of red and brown became mostly bluish green.

 

[JeanR]

Thanks for sharing! I'll post pics next time I see it but that is definitely not what is happening to my leopard wrasse. The poor thing hasn't eaten (that I can tell) in two months. It mostly hides in the sand, and when it comes out it swims badly. When I see it out now it mostly sits on the bottom on its side breathing heavily. I caught it and put it into a smaller tank hoping that I could spot feed it and nurse it back, but that didn't work out. It still never ate. It is changing color, but maybe not in a good way. I bought it directly from a LFS and put it into my system, so probably not dewormed...

 

[PSU4ME]

Probably and intestinal parasite. Can you get it to eat calanus? If you can get it in a hospital tank prazi can certainly help but only if it’s strong enough

 

[jdemarco]

I have had multiple bipartitus(blue star) leopards transition for me and its a beautiful and wonderful part of nature to be appreciated through us tank keeper's glass. It happens rather quickly in my opinion, once u notice it beginning, and at no time was the fish showing any signs of ill health or change of activity in breathing etc so my advice is that I would not assume its normal and not assume its related to the stress of changing as that had not been my experience related to transitioning process.