Information provided at the Birmingham Sea Life centre explains how reproduction on a coral reef can be complicated:
Clown fish start life as males and live inside a sea anemone, together with a female clownfish. The female prevents the males from changing sex by bullying them. When she dies, the largest male changes sex and takes over her role.
Wrasses, damselfish and antheas, not only change sex, but also colour! Unlike clownfish they are born females and later change into males.
Usually there is one male in charge of a harem of females. When he dies the largest female changes colour and becomes a male within a matter of days.
What an interesting concept…
Beautiful photo Cherie…i love the colours…..i found your information on the changes from female to male and vise versa in these fish most interesting….Mother Nature has her way with all things on our Earth:-)
…..peter:)
Mother nature is certainly amazing
The information fascinated me too.
>Clown fish start life as males…
>Usually there is one male in charge of a harem of females…
>the largest female changes colour and becomes a male…
Hmm I am lost…
Are you saying the a non-bully male can become a female, and “she” can be a partner of a dominant male, and one day when the alpha male dies “she” may become “he” again?
In this case, boys will still be boys.
This is crazy! Ha ha
LOL, very crazy indeed. I did wonder why they singled out the female as being the bully though
Most interesting, indeed, Cherie. I often read about same-sex couples in the animal kingdom but this may be the first time I’ve read about transgendering in the animal world. WOW. So there IS a precedence in Nature. Amazing.
I thought it was really interesting, I had no idea that fish did that
Well I’m glad I don’t live in a sea anemone – life’s complicated enough just being one gender
I don’t think I could do with all that chopping and changing around either.
Sounds rather fishy to me!
Extremely
Great shot of the clown fish. Isn’t nature strange, weird, downright bizarre, but so, so interesting! Mickie
Nature is always fascinating
Lovely photo Cherie
They are so fascinating, I could watch them for hours
They are fascinating, it was a great day out