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Nature or Nurture Sex change in parrotfish

Background

Parrotfish have a harem social structure where one male has a territory that encompasses multiple females

Females can switch into the terminal supermale phase and gain a territory and females of their own

Hypotheses

1. Sex change is controlled by physiological factors

Supermale parrrotfish will be the same size regardless of female size on the same reef

2. Sex change is controlled by behavioral factors

Supermale size will be dependent on female size on the same reef

Predictions

Supermale size will be directly related to the size of the females on the reef

Methods

10 reefs in the Florida Keys will be sampled for Stoplight Parrotfish

Supermales and females on each reef will be measured and their relationship to each other on each individual reef plotted

ANOVA will be used to determine significance

Credits:

Created with images by Milos Prelevic - "Life of The Seas"

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