Socially Controlled Sex Change in Fishes

Socially controlled sex change in teleost fishes represents a fascinating example of adaptive reproductive plasticity in adult animals that can be observed and experimentally manipulated, often in the full complexity of their natural environment. Sex-changing species also represent useful model systems for studying the general and important question of how social environment affects the brain and behavior. This chapter reviews our understanding of this phenomenon and explores the roles of steroid and neuropeptide hormones in regulating the gonadal, neural, and behavioral changes associated with sex change in fishes.