Behavior
P
Protandry
/ /prəʊˈtændri/ /
Etymology:
From Greek protos (first) + andros (male)
Quick Definition
Sequential hermaphroditism in which the organism begins life as male and later changes to female.
📖 Full Definition
Protandry is less common than protogyny in fish. Individuals start as functional males and change to female. This is adaptive when female fecundity increases strongly with body size (larger females produce more and larger eggs) while male fertilisation success is less size-dependent. Famous examples: clownfish (Amphiprion spp.) — the dominant individual in a group is always female; when she dies the largest male changes sex and takes her place. Also occurs in some sea breams (Sparidae).
💡 Examples & Context
In the film Finding Nemo, after Nemo's mother was eaten, the biologically correct sequel would have had the father (Marlin) change sex into a female to lead the group.