July 7, 2015 — We’ll say this for the sea bass: It’s sure good at keeping its options open.
If it surveys the mating landscape and fails to see enough prospects, it simply switches gender.
Problem solved.
This ability bodes well for New Jersey’s commercial and recreational fishing industry, for it offers natural protection from over-fishing, says one Rutgers researcher.
A fish may begin life as a female, only to switch to male if that looks like it will improve its chances of reproduction. Smaller males, called “sneaker males,” may impersonate females so they can fertilize eggs on the sly without attracting hostile attention from other males.
“The relative benefit of being male or female changes throughout their lives,” said Olaf Jensen of Rutgers’ department of marine and coastal science.
But until lately, no one has really known how often sea bass switch genders, or when that switch typically takes place.
And why should anyone but a marine biologist care?
Because without understanding what’s happening, state fishing bureaucrats have no firm idea on how to set catch limits for the fishing industry.