lautnusantara.com White snapper (Lates calcarifer) have unique biological characteristics between males and females because they are protandrous hermaphrodites. This characteristic is the main key to distinguishing the two sexes.

The following are the basic biological differences between male and female white snapper:

1. Sex Change Trait (Protandry)
This is the most distinctive biological characteristic of white snapper:

• Males: White snapper begin their adult lives as males (primary males). They reach sexual maturity as males at a relatively young age, usually around 2-4 years old.
• Females: Functional females (capable of laying eggs) are mostly derived from adult males that have undergone sex change (secondary females). This change process usually occurs with the age and size of the fish.

2. Body Size and Age
Size differences are the easiest indicators to observe in the field because they are directly related to the protandry process:

Males:

• Generally smaller in size and weight.
• They often dominate populations in the 1 to 2 kg weight range.
• They reach gonadal maturity (ready to spawn) at a smaller size and younger age.

Females:

• Generally significantly larger in size and weight than males.
• Almost all fish weighing over 4 kg (depending on geographic conditions) are females.
• They reach gonadal maturity at a larger size and older age due to undergoing the male-to-female transition stage.

4. Secondary Sexual Characteristics

• Visually: There is almost no obvious difference (sexual dimorphism) in the shape or color of the external body between male and female barramundi, except during the spawning season when the abdomen of mature females will appear more bloated and soft.

Therefore, in a barramundi population, you are likely to find small to medium-sized fish as males, and large fish are almost always females.

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