Mary Bates, PhD

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New on PLOS Ecology: Hermaphroditic Fish

Photo: Williams, J. T.; Carpenter, K. E.; Van Tassell, J. L.; Hoetjes, P.; Toller, W.; Etnoyer, P.; Smith, M., via Wikimedia Commons. Distributed under a CC BY 2.5 license.Chalk bass are simultaneous hermaphrodites; they have both male and female reproductive tissue at the same time. They make the most of their assets by egg parceling - trading gender roles back and forth with a long-term partner. This way, they get their eggs fertilized and they get to fertilize their partner's eggs.Read on to see how this system works: Cooperative Fish Take Turns With Gender Roles.