Jan 24, 2005

CROSS-DRESSING FISH

SCIENTISTS have found the first example of a male that wins a mate by CROSS-DRESSING.

Male giant Australian cuttlefish outnumber females by four to one — so the girls are picky.

To compete, wimpy fellas hide their fourth arms — a male characteristic — and change colour to copy the females’ mottled skin.

Then they trick their way past the female’s partner and often succeed in mating with her.

The only trouble is that other dominant males sometimes get frisky with THEM.

US scientists in Massachusetts said: “We found female mimickers could successfully deceive the consort male.”

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