Pity the bilateral gynandromorp

[shereads]

DUAL-SEX CRAB FOUND IN CHESEPEAKE BAY
- Washington Post

excerpt:

Can the crab reproduce? Can it mate with itself? Mating season has come and gone for this year, Lipcius said.

"It's possible that it already mated with itself," he said.

Before turning over the crab to the scientists, Johnson and other watermen conducted their own experiment into its sex life, with bewildering results. They dropped a female crab, which was just about ready to mate, into its tank.

First, the half-and-half crab cradled the female under his legs, as a male crab would do in preparation for mating.

Then, the crab seemed to lose interest in the female and let her go, Johnson said.

Then a day later . . .

"He ate half of her," Johnson said.

Watson said the crab already has a name, Springer. The watermen thought it was strange enough to be on "The Jerry Springer Show."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/15/AR2005061502231.html

 

[Guest]

Funny.

I had a half a crab at lunch.

 

[TheEarl]

Then, the crab seemed to lose interest in the female and let her go, Johnson said.

Then a day later . . .

"He ate half of her," Johnson said.

That laugh has just scared anyone walking past my room.

The Earl

 

[impressive]

That laugh has just scared anyone walking past my room.

The Earl

I did the coffee spray.

 

[Guest]

Originally Posted by shereads
Then, the crab seemed to lose interest in the female and let her go, Johnson said.

Then a day later . . .

"He ate half of her," Johnson said.

Which half did he eat?

 

[shereads]

[/i]


Which half did he eat?

I'm not a scientist, but I'd guess that he ate the half with no genitalia. Unless she ate it, in which case I have no idea.

 

[shereads]

That laugh has just scared anyone walking past my room.

The Earl

I know what you mean. My dog leaves the room when i laugh like that.

 

[R. Richard]

The dual-sex situation is not as uncommon as one might think.

There are a number of conditions in humans that result in an indivdual having both male and femal genitalia. The matter is rarely discussed, but became important in the 1960s and 1970s when several individuals, competing as women were found to have sufficient male sex hormones to give them an advantage in women's competition. Several prominent international competitors suddenly disappeared from athletic competition.

That said, there is not record of any of the possibly dual-sex competitors killing and eating other competitors. Of course, this last would result in disqualification, particularly at the Olympic level.

 

[lucky-E-leven]

Nifty stuff. I'm jealous. Not that I want to mate with myself for procreation or anything, but it'd be swell to have all you needed in order to get off. Of course, it's a good idea to have a partner, I suppose. In case you get hungry and all.



This thread takes me back to Cape Cod where we saw the running of the horseshoe crabs. There were tons of them fucking all along the water's edge on my wedding night.



~lucky

 

[shereads]

That said, there is not record of any of the possibly dual-sex competitors killing and eating other competitors. Of course, this last would result in disqualification, particularly at the Olympic level.

Darn French judges.

 

[shereads]

This thread takes me back to Cape Cod where we saw the running of the horseshoe crabs. There were tons of them fucking all along the water's edge on my wedding night.



~lucky

A good omen. As the Scots saying goes, "Ach! Gui'ld fennach crabs a' fuckin', t'wed a cod moon."

 

[R. Richard]

Darn French judges.

Actually, I have detected a sort of hidden bias against anthropophagism in the English and Spanish judges as well.

 

[lucky-E-leven]

A good omen. As the Scots saying goes, "Ach! Gui'ld fennach crabs a' fuckin', t'wed a cod moon."

Aye. Now, do you know if they say that before or after they demand to watch Benny Hill?

 

[shereads]

Aye. Now, do you know if they say that before or after they demand to watch Benny Hill?

Any Benny Hill goings-on should be reported to your attorney. For the record.

 

[lucky-E-leven]

Any Benny Hill goings-on should be reported to your attorney. For the record.

Noted.

I don't have to contend with Benny Hill so much as I do 'Life in the ER'.

At least right now it's still endearing.

 

[Equinoxe]

Well, that certainly is an interesting article, thank you for sharing it.

I'm not a scientist, but I'd guess that he ate the half with no genitalia. Unless she ate it, in which case I have no idea.

The article seems to suggest that the female part of the crab was responsible for eating the other female crab, since apparently female crabs will eat other female crabs to ensure that they get to pass on genes, as it were.

The dual-sex situation is not as uncommon as one might think.

This is true, hermaphroditism isn't that rare (not that it's common, by any stretch of the imagination) in many species, by a bilateral gynandromorph is a bit different than a "regular" hermaphrodite. Half of it is male and half of it is female -- literally. With a hermaphrodite that's not the case, the left half and the right half don't differ by sex.

Here's a bilateral gynandromorph butterfly:
Butterfly

 

[rgraham666]

"bilateral gynandromorph"

Say that three times fast. With marbles in your mouth.

 

[shereads]

"bilateral gynandromorph"

Say that three times fast. With marbles in your mouth.

<mulls it over>

No.

 

[NoJo]

<mulls it over>

No.

Try mulling it under. It might change your mind -- about a lot of things.

 

[shereads]

Try mulling it under. It might change your mind -- about a lot of things.

Mull.

Mull.

Mull is one of those words that always looks as if it's spelled wrong, or if it's not a real word and you just dreamed it.

 

[Seattle Zack]

I had a hermaphrodite crustecean once, but she never took off her costume.

 

[rgraham666]

Mull.

Mull.

Mull is one of those words that always looks as if it's spelled wrong, or if it's not a real word and you just dreamed it.

I thought mull was something you did with wine.