From BookRags: Hermaphrodite:
A few species of vertebrates (mostly fish), and some species of crustaceans
(barnacles and shrimps) change sex during their lifetime. Sequential
hermaphroditic fish, such as the bluehead wrasse, undergo protogyny,
changing sex from female to male. Other species, such as the sea perch,
undergo protandry, changing sex from male to female. A third group of fish,
such as the sea bass, undergoes both protogyny and protandry, and can do so
repeatedly. One of the most dramatic sights in nature is the mating of the
sea bass. When two female sea bass meet to mate, one undergoes protogyny,
changing color from a deep blue to bright orange with a white stripe. After
fertilization, both fish then switch sex (and coloring) and then mate again.
The sex changes of sequential hermaphrodites depend on social factors. For
example, bluehead wrasse live in large colonies where only the largest fish
are males. The others must remain female until the males die. Only then can
some of the females (usually the largest) change from female to male. Other
factors influencing protogyny and protandry are hunger, the amount of salt
in the water (salinity), social behaviors, and the ratio of males to females
in the population.
2008/6/30 <[log in to unmask]>:
> All of this intelligent discussing of mortality held under his banner!
> Right now we're hatching brine shrimp--a great little type that has a
> single tripartite eye in the front and a deedling kind of locomotion
> that reminds me of the reconstructions of the watery gait of
> Anomalocarus (one of my favs. of the pre-Cambrians). Hard to tell how
> old these lady-gents are (right now they're hermaphrodites), as they
> were in suspended animation for years to decades and came back in 3 days
> with an application of bottled water (may our dry bones do the same in
> the coming Glory!). My 6 year old daughter is keeping a running count
> of the birthdays that we all must celebrate as they hatch and deedle,
> deedle and hatch. So far it's been six Happy B'day songs in Japanese
> and six tiny cakes. That's only for the visible ones. I understand
> that most linger on the edge of visibility for another five days, so
> soon it's going to be countless songs and countless cakes just like the
> heaven of those beetling browed monsters that chain us to heaven and
> hell with their attempts at stacking nonsense into syllogisms.
>
> My wife's uncle died last year and an "unlucky day" landed in the
> middle of the July wake in his home, so the poor guy could not be
> reduced to his chemicals in a speedy fashion. When the funeral did
> happen, the smell of disinfectant and incense could barely mask the
> smell.
>
> My description of Cid Corman's funeral can probably be found in the
> archives, so I won't go into details about what happens here.
>
> Rainbow Bridge seems to be just for mammals. What about fish, reptiles
> insects (like spiders--a fav.) and brine shrimp? Surely Jesus has a
> place for them too? Buddha certainly has.
>
> Also--yes, hell planes, cars, and money. That tradition hearkens back to
> the days in China (and to a limited extent in Japan) when the great
> Rulers took everything with them, including wives, concubines, servants,
> etc. Yes YOU COULD DARNED WELL TAKE IT WITH YOU.
>
> Plus Hell Money is great to do arts & crafts with.
>
> Jess
>
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