Types of Hermaphrodites

Both animals as well as plants can be hermaphrodites, so this can be further classified into:

Animal Hermaphrodites

Animal hermaphrodites can be further classified into the following:

Sequential Hermaphrodites

Sequential hermaphrodites, also known as dichogamous organisms, are species in which individuals initially develop as one sex but possess the ability to later transform into the opposite sex. This phenomenon is common in fish species, particularly teleost fish, and also in many gastropods such as the common slipper shell. It is worth noting that sequential hermaphrodites can change their sex only once during their lifetime.

Sequential hermaphrodites can be categorized into three main types:

• Protandry: In this case, an organism transitions from being male to female after initially being born as a male. For example, the clownfish (genus Amphiprion) displays protandry.
• Protogyny: This occurs when an organism is initially born as a female and later undergoes a transformation into a male. An example is seen in the wrasses family (Labridae), where protogyny is commonly observed in reef fish.
• Bidirectional Sex Changers: These organisms possess both male and female reproductive organs and can change their sexual orientation at different stages of their lives. For example, the coral reef fish known as Lythrypnus dalli exhibits bidirectional sex change.

Simultaneous Hermaphrodites

Simultaneous hermaphrodites, also known as synchronous hermaphrodites or homogamous individuals, are adult organisms that possess both male and female sexual organs concurrently. This unique characteristic allows them to be considered as having both sexes within a single individual. Simultaneous hermaphrodites often engage in self-fertilization.

There are several examples found that can be compiled under this category,

• Among the terrestrial animals exhibiting this sexual polymorphism, land slugs, and pulmonate land snails are particularly noteworthy. These organisms are commonly encountered as examples of simultaneous hermaphrodites.
• Another example in the realm of hermaphroditic gastropods is the banana slug.
• Furthermore, earthworms represent another type of simultaneous hermaphrodite.

Hermaphrodite Plants

In botany, the term “hermaphrodite” is used to describe, for example, a perfect flower that possesses both staminate (male, pollen-producing) and carpellate (female, ovule-producing) parts. The majority of flowering plant species exhibit hermaphroditic characteristics.

There are majorly three types of plant hermaphrodites:

Monoecy

Monoecy refers to the characteristic of flowering plant species where individual plants produce both separate male and female flowers. This phenomenon is relatively rare, occurring in approximately 7% of all flowering plant species. Monoecious plants are commonly labeled as hermaphroditic due to their ability to generate both male and female gametes but it’s essential to note that individual flowers are not hermaphroditic. Around 65% of gymnosperm species exhibit dioecy, but conifers are predominantly monoecious. Some plants can change their sex during their lifecycle, a phenomenon termed sequential hermaphroditism.

Also Read: Difference between Angiosperms and Gymnosperms

Andromonecy

Andromonecy characterizes plant species where perfect (hermaphrodite, having both stamen and carpel) flowers coexist with separate, fertile male flowers that are sterile as females. This trait is observed in around 2% of flowering plants, encompassing approximately 4000 species.

Gynomonoecy

Gynomonoecy, on the other hand, denotes plant species that produce both hermaphrodite flowers and separate male-sterile pistillate flowers. One instance of gynomonoecy is found in the meadow saxifrage, Saxifraga granulata.

Hermaphrodites are organisms that have both male and female sex organs within them. Hermaphrodite flowers have both male and female reproductive organs allowing self-pollination. Hermaphrodite animals are predominantly invertebrates such as worms, bryozoans (moss animals), trematodes (flukes), snails, slugs, and barnacles. They are typically parasitic, slow-moving, or permanently attached to another animal or plant.

Sometimes, mixed breeding systems are observed in both plants and animals, where hermaphrodite individuals coexist with males, females, or all three within the same species. In this article, we will look into the Hermaphrodite meaning, examples, and types of hermaphrodites. We will also discuss Hermaphrodites in Humans and Flowers.