Category: Fish
Anchovies are small, oily fish that are found in scattered areas throughout the world’s oceans. They tend to be tolerant of a large range of temperatures and salinity. They are an important food source for almost every predatory fish, and many birds, in their environment. Anchovies have also been an important food source for humans in many cultures around the world throughout history – ancient Romans, for example, fermented anchovies into a sauce known "Garum."
ABC. It’s easy as Protandry
The largest, most aggressive female anemonefish rules the roost - she is the dominant member of the social group, and with one breeding male, the only one who reproduces. In anemonefish society, everybody knows where they stand in the hierarchy! So when she leaves the group, everybody moves up one spot - including the largest, most aggressive male, who undergoes a sex change to become the leader (and breeding female) of the group. While undergoing a sex change might sound drastic to humans, it is actually not all that uncommon in other species. Many do it, either naturally or due to environmental factors: fish, invertebrates, amphibians, some reptiles, even the occasional chicken!
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