P. Babahajiani - Department of Animal and Aquatic Sciences, Agriculture School, Sanandaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sanandaj, Kurdistan, Iran
B. Shokrollahi - Department of Animal and Aquatic Sciences, Agriculture School, Sanandaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sanandaj, Kurdistan, Iran
M. Gharibkhani - Department of Fisheries, Astara Branch, Islamic Azad University, Astara, Iran.

There are many differences between sex of fishes in many traits before and after puberty. Differences in growth rate, size, behavior patterns, and breeding time between males and females have great economic importance (Turan and Cek, ۲۰۰۷). Therefore, many breeders prefer to delay or prevent puberty or to produce unisex populations. Exogenous steroids can be effective in sex reversal of fishes (Al-ablani and Phelps, ۲۰۰۲). Two hormones, estradiol-۱۷β (female-specific hormone) and ۱۷α-methyltestosterone (male-specific hormone) are the most commonly used hormones for sex reversal (Stepherd and Bromage, ۱۹۹۵).

Gokshura, Nettle root, Sex reversal, Growth rate, Convict cichlid