Do you think your sex life is unfulfilling? Spare a moment to consider the plight of the male angler fish.
When scientists first studied these creatures, they were surprised to find that all of the fish that they captured were female. Further, these female fish had male gonads (testicles) attached to them.
Male angler fish are born with a highly developed olfactory function (sense of smell) and mouth parts, but no digestive system. Their only task in life is to sniff out a female and bite onto her. An enzyme then devours both his mouth and her body, where bitten, until they meld into each other. The male slowly atrophies until all that is left are his gonads. This effectively makes the female hermaphrodite (both male and female). The male gonads release sperm in response to an enzyme signal whenever an egg is produced. And so this happy courtship cycle begins again. Romantic or what?!
Moans… (Giggles)
Yes, quite!
Thanks for your feedback.
Rob.
Rob, that’s awesome! I’m reblogging this!
Yes, definitely a “fact stranger than fiction” moment for me.
Many thanks for your feedback
Rob.
Linked here from lovesexandmarriage re-blog. Hilarious – I feel a need to share with random co-workers now…. What an excellent way to start a Friday morning!
Glad you liked it Em.
Many thanks for your feedback.
Rob.
It started quite the conversation here amongst my co-workers… One person even called his wife & read it to her on the phone… Hilarious!
Absorbing my mate. Now that is my brand of sexy and romantic.
You’ve been watching too many vampire shows! lol
Many thanks for your feedback.
Rob.
Worst. Mating. EVER! Between that and looking like an embryonic sac, male angler fish have reasons to sing the blues.
Point taken. I will never grouse about my sex life again.
Hi Nadine,
I don’t think you should take it too much to heart: we are talking about a different species!
Many thanks for your feedback
Rob.
Poor fishie! It’s like the Black Widow only not as violent. Interesting read! I have my sons looking up more information on this fish for a report
I disagree. The male black widow gets something like a life before he gets eaten. He has a brain and is alive throughout mating. The Mr Angler Fish is completely consumed: body, brains, the lot. He is no longer an organism by the time she decides she wants a family.
Many thanks for your feedback.
Rob.
bwhahahahahaha!
Im giggling but what the HELL?
why bother having males in the first place?
the (C)reator is sure sadistic sometimes…
Yes, seems kind of cruel doesn’t it?
Why still have males? I’m guessing, because they compete to latch on, Mrs Angler Fish gets a fit one, and so the production of later generations is assured.
Many thanks for your feedback.
Rob.
so they compete to be murdered.
how cheerful!
you’re welcome. diverse blog…
I don’t think you could call it murder: it’s their raison d’etre! Just like all life on this planet, including us, they just follow their gene’s instructions.
murder is the act of killing another thing, right?
call it genes, call it crime, call it nature…
By your own definition, of course, you’re right. I’m not sure whether it’s her or his enzymes which zap him. Either way, he goes to it quite willingly. So doesn’t that make it suicide rather than homicide?
Rob.
How do we know he knows he is going to die?
ha! I bet she knows!
Hi Evelyn,
We know because there are only two options: he latches on to a female and atrophies or he starves to death. Like a may fly, his life choices and his time to make them are severely limited. I guess she knows but only to the extent that fish know anything. They’re not renown for their profound philosophical introspection and sense of self!
Rob.