OldWolf
Really Experienced
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2004
- Posts
- 215
Heard an interesting radio show on Saturday, they were discussing the sexual practises and reproduction cycle of a species of fish called Amazon Mollies. They are found in the Gulf of Mexico, and in fact every egg that a female produces is a genetic clone of itself. Although not too unusual by itself, there are plenty of organisms that reproduce asexually in the world, althoug I will admit that this is one of the first times I have heard of a vertabrate(sp) reproducing this way.
No the quirk, or kink as it were comes from the fact that the Amazon mollies need sperm to trigger the production of eggs(clones). Problem is, every Amzon Molly is a clone of every other one, which means, there aren't any male Amazon mollies(hence the name). I have to admit that until I heard they reproduce asexually, I was confused as to why a species of fished called Amazon Mollies was found in the Gulf of Mexico, I had thought that South America would have been more appropriate. But I digress. It turns out that the Amazon Mollies actually seek out the males of two cousin species of Mollies, the Atlantic Mollies, and the Sailfin Mollies. So the Amazon Mollies entice these males to mate with them, but the genetic material from the sperm is discarded, some chemical reaction to the sperm however is vital for the production of viable eggs.
Interesting stuff, eh?
No the quirk, or kink as it were comes from the fact that the Amazon mollies need sperm to trigger the production of eggs(clones). Problem is, every Amzon Molly is a clone of every other one, which means, there aren't any male Amazon mollies(hence the name). I have to admit that until I heard they reproduce asexually, I was confused as to why a species of fished called Amazon Mollies was found in the Gulf of Mexico, I had thought that South America would have been more appropriate. But I digress. It turns out that the Amazon Mollies actually seek out the males of two cousin species of Mollies, the Atlantic Mollies, and the Sailfin Mollies. So the Amazon Mollies entice these males to mate with them, but the genetic material from the sperm is discarded, some chemical reaction to the sperm however is vital for the production of viable eggs.
Interesting stuff, eh?
