Posted on 07/06/2004 9:42:24 AM PDT by martin_fierro
Scientists to Study 'Cross-Dressing' Fish
ADELAIDE, Australia - A scientist appealed for help Tuesday in studying what she calls the "cross-dressing" sexual antics of cuttlefish off the coast of southern Australia.
Cuttlefish often gather in huge populations to mate in waters off the Eyre Peninsula of South Australia state, South Australia Museum researcher Dr. Bronwyn Gillanders said.
And one of the ways small male cuttlefish get a girl is by tricking larger males through "cross-dressing," she said.
The smaller cuttlefish change their body color — making larger males believe they are females — to avoid being chased away. The larger males do not consider them a threat, giving the smaller cuttlefish a chance to quickly revert to their normal color and mate with females.
Gillanders appealed to members of the public to tell researchers investigating the animal's habits where they are gathering.
"Although cuttlefish's sexual antics are a wonderful display to divers and snorkelers, the fact is that the cuttlefish will die soon after they lay their eggs," she said.
"This gives us a window of opportunity of only two or three months, following on from their mating season, to gather as much information as we can."
Divine Shadness.
Go to your room, young man.
~</;o)
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