The biggest struggle I have as a fish owner is knowing whether a fish is a dude or a girl, so I can give them a name of the correct gender. Sometimes it's pretty easy to tell the difference since many species have a more colorful male and a less colorful female. Other types of sea creatures are a little more difficult to tell apart. This is due to the fact that many different types of fish tend to be hermaphrodites. But what exactly is a hermaphrodite? It's an animal that is born with reproductive organs of both sexes. Tis is known as a simultaneous hermaphrodite. However, in many other species, individuals are born as one gender and are later able to switch sexes. There are two types of sequential hermaphrodites: protandrous and protogynous. 

In simultaneous hermaphroditism individuals are born with both male and female reproductive organs. This type of hermaphrodite is usually found in the deepest, darkest parts of the ocean, although there are a few exceptions. Since it's pretty vast down there, it's not every day you run into a potential mate. This means that both individuals can end up producing offspring, yielding this type of hermaphroditism beneficial to these fish. One example of a fish displaying simultaneous hermaphroditism is the salmon.

Salmon

Those that are protandrous hermaphrodites are born male but are later able to change into a female. Examples of fish that are protandrous are clownfish, moray eels, and damsels. In most cases you will find a group of two large fish and a bunch of smaller ones. The larger fish are sexually mature and are a reproducing male and female, while the smaller fish actually lack gonads altogether. When a female dies or leaves the group, the large male will then become the reproducing female and the next largest male will take over his place. Basically, the movie Finding Nemo us now ruined.

My clownfish: Nemo, Meghan Pentak

My eel: Snowball, Meghan Pentak

The other type of sequential hermaphroditism is known as protogyny. Wrasses, gobies, angelfish, and groupers fall under this category. In this situation fish are born female and can later become male. Only once she has mated and produced eggs is the female able to turn into a male. These fish are found in groups called harems which are made up of one male and several females. In nature the male is the larger of the two, with the female being smaller and less colorful. When the male dies one of the female will turn into a male and take his place.

My green bird wrasse: Nick Ricci (don't mind the puffer fish), Meghan Pentak

My eibli angelfish: Poseidon, Meghan Pentak

So in conclusion, if I assumed my fish were guys when I named them, did I name them correctly? Or did I give some girls some guy names...