Every Pandalus shrimp starts out male. He spends his first two or three years as a bachelor, during which time he generally loses his virginity. Once he’s had his fun, his testes transform into ovaries and he matures into a female. At which point, she turns around and hits up the new generation of strapping young males for more sex. There is some evidence that if females are especially numerous, the males can delay their sex change and remain playboys for an extra season or two. Likewise, if there aren’t enough females, the males may give up their bachelorhood and switch early.
