Some other species have really got the whole thing figured out. No man around? Just a group of great gals? Have one of them morph into a man!
Sounds strange, but this is actually what happens in a surprising number of reef fish. (I learned this during my visit to the Natural History Museum in NYC.)
If you can't read the caption on the photo below, (because of my flash, but otherwise it was too dark), it explains how Spotlight Parrotfish are born as females and can later become males. They live in groups with several females and one male. I like the way they put it "Several females share one male for breeding." If the male dies, the largest female changes into a male!
This sign also mentions the Golden Hamlet, which has both sexes in one.
No comments:
Post a Comment