1. Are there any external resources used?
Answer: No
2. Can the component maintain the same role in the mechanism/system once it is fixed?
Answer: No
3. Does the adaptation change the characteristics of the system?
Answer: Yes
11) Hawkfish, Cirrhitichthys falco
Hawkfish can be found off of the island Kuchino-Erabu near the southern portion of Jpaan (White, Chelsea). These small fish have the capability of changing from one sex to another and then changing back if the need arises from environmental changes described below. Hawkfish can adapt to environmental changes such as the dominant male dying or a larger dominant male residing in territory. (White, Chelsea). If the dominant male dies then the largest female will go through physiological changes started and dictated by hormones in the body. The mechanisms that are involved have not been discovered yet but the female does change its color, markings, and sexual organs to a males appearance. This helps the school of fish survive because then the new dominant male can start producing sperm that will fertilize the female eggs (White, Chelsea). If the environment was to change to where a larger dominant male came into the territory the previously dominant male would change into a female. They do this because they know they can not beat the stronger male so to better serve the school of fish they revert to female organs and reproduce in that way (White, Chelsea). These mechanisms are also not known on how they can achieve these changes but hormones believe to be the key factor.
White, Chelsea. “Zoologger: Transgender Fish Perform Reverse Sex Flip.”Zoologger: Transgender Fish Perform Reverse Sex Flip. New Scientist, 6 Jan. 2012. Web. Retrieved March 7, 2015, from
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