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In the threespot wrasse Halichoeres trimaculatus, sex change of primary males was observed in the field and confirmed by aquarium experiments. In other words, protandry and protogyny coexisted within this species. Moreover, male-to-female-to-male sex change and female-to-male-to-female sex change were observed in aquarium experiments; i.e. reversed sex change occurred in both protandrous and protogynous hermaphrodites. These results suggest that only the direction of sex differentiation before maturation may differ between the two sexual types that have been regarded as a primary male and a protogynous hermaphrodite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]