Are firefish haemphrodite or not?

[rocknurworld]

regarding firefish gobies are they haemaphrodites or are born male and female? as seems to be mixed information and if someone could give me link to show where it says what they are.

 

[Slocke]

Almost all gobies are female at birth and then one in a community will turn male as needed. When a male dies another one will turn male.

 

[Nemo&Friends]

Does that mean that if you get a pair you will end up with one male and one female? I have a pair of firefish and one of scissortail, it seems that in each case one is slightly larger than its mate, so may be that is what happened. They never fought like clowns do.

 

[Nemo&Friends]

I am confused as another thread says they are not hermaphrodite. So may be I was lucky.

 

[Slocke]

I've read through a few papers and I change my answer. They are probably not hermaphrodites. No paper specifically mentioned them being or not being but that they seem to be male or female as soon as they are out of the larval stage. I was just assuming hermaphrodite since a lot of gobiidae are.

 

[rocknurworld]

I've read through a few papers and I change my answer. They are probably not hermaphrodites. No paper specifically mentioned them being or not being but that they seem to be male or female as soon as they are out of the larval stage. I was just assuming hermaphrodite since a lot of gobiidae are.

I'm finding it hard to actually find a source that does back up and say they aren't or are. did you find any?

 

[i cant think]

Does that mean that if you get a pair you will end up with one male and one female?

For most other gobies, this is the case. Which gobies are hermaphroditic you will have to research into however generally most of our popular gobies are hermaphroditic;
- Cryptocentrus
- Stonogobiops
- Amblyeleotris
- Gobiodon
- Discordipinna

Gobiodon is slightly different in which they are bidirectional hermaphrodites and they are able to switch to whatever sex is needed where as the others are unable to switch between the two sexes and once they are female/male (I can’t remember exactly what they are born as but I believe it is female) they cannot change back.