Biology
Reproductive Strategies of Sequential Hermaphroditism in Coral Reef Fish
Quick fact
In many protogynous reef fish, such as wrasses and parrotfish, the largest female in a social group transforms into a male when the dominant male disappears, sometimes within a few days.
Why this is interesting
Imagine a fish that starts life as a female and later becomes a male—or vice versa. How could such a radical change be a winning evolutionary strategy?