Zebra lost its stripes?

[Slocke]

Any ideas why my Genicanthus melanospilos has lost its stripes. It’s fat and its other markings are just as vibrant but it no longer has stripes. I feed it a mix of frozen angel mixes, mysis, krill, assorted seafood, nori, and pellets.

Is it going female?
Before (with my good camera admittedly)

Now (with phone camera)

 

[sc50964]

Yes it has reverted back to female.

My guess is that you don’t have a female with him.

 

[Slocke]

Yes it has reverted back to female.

My guess is that you don’t have a female with him.

Ah darn. Yeah there are no females with him/her.

Thanks

 

[sc50964]

Ah darn. Yeah there are no females with him/her.

Thanks

That’s the draw back with this specie. Male often will still have his pattern and color fade if 1) there are other top level water dominant fish or 2) his female has somehow become more dominant. That’s why I keep a specie only tank with just a pair of the masked angels in a 125 to keep his colors

 

[vetteguy53081]

Any ideas why my Genicanthus melanospilos has lost its stripes. It’s fat and its other markings are just as vibrant but it no longer has stripes. I feed it a mix of frozen angel mixes, mysis, krill, assorted seafood, nori, and pellets.

Is it going female?
Before (with my good camera admittedly)

Now (with phone camera)

Spotbreast angel males are subject to what is known as sexual dimorphism and can convert to female why stripes are gone. Other reason would be stress but this is clearly dimorphism

 

[jda]

If you get a female, it should change back to a male. Young males can change back to females. Older males can stay as terminal males, but it takes a while - they get streamers and a big pronounced chin when they are terminal.

Ala...

 

[Slocke]

If you get a female, it should change back to a male. Young males can change back to females. Older males can stay as terminal males, but it takes a while - they get streamers and a big pronounced chin when they are terminal.

Ala...

Ooh that’s cool. Good to know thanks

 

[sc50964]

If you get a female, it should change back to a male. Young males can change back to females. Older males can stay as terminal males, but it takes a while - they get streamers and a big pronounced chin when they are terminal.

Ala...

Wow is that your male watanabei?

 

[jda]

No. I found that on the web. I did have a male watanabei for a long time, like a decade or more, but it just disappeared one day - probably from old age. It is hard to get a photo of them showing both the chin and the streamers. There are lots of nice male spotbreast photos out there, but they don't usually show both at the same time.

 

[sc50964]

No. I found that on the web. I did have a male watanabei for a long time, like a decade or more, but it just disappeared one day - probably from old age. It is hard to get a photo of them showing both the chin and the streamers. There are lots of nice male spotbreast photos out there, but they don't usually show both at the same time.

I was able to keep a male zebra without a female for more than a year. He didn’t lose any of his lines and his streamers were long like your picture, but his coloration and contrast weren’t as good as when I got him initially. He didn’t have a female but had two clownfish to chase every now and then

 

[jda]

Genicanthus as well as the X triggers do usually have more vibrant color with a female or male around. Even the females look better with a male. Wrasses too, IMO.