Skip to main content

Image of the Day: Sex Flip Flop

The bluebanded goby, Lythrypnus dalli, is capable of quickly changing sexes in either direction—a transition that typically takes two weeks.

Brought to you byThe Scientist
| 1 min read

Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
1:00

Lythrypnus dalli

KORY GOZJACK

Scientists at Georgia State University demonstrated that male gobies produce more androgen receptors than females. This increase is evident on a muscle that directs the movement of their dorsal and caudal fins, and could be important for driving courtship behaviors that are stereotypically male.

See E.R. Schuppe et al., “Sex differences in neuromuscular androgen receptor expression and sociosexual behavior in a sex changing fish,” PLOS ONE, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0177711, 2017.

Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

The Scientist Logo
Receive full access to more than 35 years of archives, as well as TS Digest, digital editions of The Scientist, feature stories, and much more!
Already a member?
Add The Scientist as a preferred source on Google

Add The Scientist as a preferred Google source to see more of our trusted coverage.

Related Topics

Related articles background image
The Scientist Digest cover September 2026
September 2026

Multiplex Microscopy Becomes Easier with Encoded Antibodies

A new system that enables researchers to uniquely tag monoclonal antibodies for use in microscopy could help simplify complex imaging studies.

View this Issue
Essential Genes Are Dominantly Activated by Single Transcription Factors

Essential Genes Are Dominantly Activated by Single Transcription Factors

EpiCypher Logo
Rethinking ALS Biomarkers: From Discovery to Clinical Impact

Rethinking ALS Biomarkers: From Discovery to Clinical Impact

Alamar Biosciences logo
Engineering CAR-Neutrophils In Vivo to Target Glioblastoma

Engineering CAR-Neutrophils In Vivo to Target Glioblastoma

Miltenyi
Best Practices for qPCR Assay Design and Optimization

Best Practices for qPCR Assay Design and Optimization

Bio-Rad

Products

Closeup image of a multi channel pipette dispensing pink liquid into a 96-well plate.

The ASSIST PLUS pipetting robot for affordable workflow automation

Integra Logo
Single cells in suspension

Rapidly isolate primary cells and make uniform single-cell suspensions with Corning® Cell Strainers

Corning logo
Abstract image representing cell membranes linked together.

CellBrite® Steady Membrane Stain: Cell surface staining built for real-time imaging

Biotium
sino biological logo

Monod Bio Licenses AI-designed Protein Technologies to SignalChem Biotech for Custom Discovery Assays