School of sea goldies with feather stars, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia
© Gary Bell/Minden Picture
A goldie gala
It's ladies' night at the Great Barrier Reef: Their bright orange-pink coloration indicates these sea goldies are females. But that could change quickly: Sea goldies are protogynous hermaphrodites, meaning that when there aren't enough fellas around, the largest females change sex to become male, turning purplish and growing even larger. All goldies are born female, but those that switch to male enjoy instantly better odds at mating time: For every male goldie there are up to 10 females.
Related Images
Atlantic spotted dolphins near Santa Maria Island, Azores, Portugal
Manatee in Three Sisters Springs, Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, Florida
Group of giant cuttlefish in Spencer Gulf, off Whyalla, South Australia
Humpback whale mother and calf, Tonga
Crescent-tail bigeye fish in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia
A green sea turtle swims in the Pacific Ocean near the French special collectivity of New Caledonia
California sea lion in a forest of giant kelp, Baja California, Mexico
Mototi octopus, Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
Today on Bing
Bathing huts on the beach in Skåne County, Sweden
Jul 28, 2024
San Blas Islands, Panama
Jul 28, 2023
Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
Jul 28, 2022
Hamelin Pool Marine Nature Reserve in Australia
Jul 28, 2020
