Female Clownfish

[NaturalGothic]

Hey Guys!
I have a question for you: At what size (in your experience) do male clownfish become females? I can’t seem to find any kind of an answer.

 

[swiss1939]

Gonna take an educated guess here but definitely no expert... At whatever size they are when they are the largest/most dominant clownfish in the tank.

 

[PicassoClown04]

I believe post above me is true. My pair are barely larger than 1” and there is a definite female. I don’t think this is set in stone until they’re older now, as this ‘female’ would probably become male should I introduce a larger clown. 100% sure that when they reach max size/spawning age that a ‘female’ cannot be a male. Males may always transfer into females.

 

[Bfragale]

Yes - size doesn’t matter. Once one establishes dominance it will become female. I’m pretty sure they can go from male to female, but a female can’t go back to a male. Once full grown a female will be bigger then a full grown male, but I do Not think size has to do with when they change. Hope this helps.
HAPPY REEFING!

 

[swiss1939]

It's the game of thrones. Smaller males constantly challenging the female to become dominant. If they are big and strong enough, and the female weak enough, they will become dominant and eventually become female. Female tries to harass them to keep them from switching through keeping them submissive and hence preventing the hormones that switch. This is why it's suggested when getting two, or adding one to make sure the new or second one is much smaller. Prevents toxic aggression that leads to death.