Tuesday August 13, 2024
Earth.com —
The moon has fascinated astronomers and poets alike for centuries, but did you know it also holds sway over the life-and-death struggles of some reef fish? As it turns out, for the sixbar wrasse, the moon’s cycle plays a pivotal role in deciding their sex and survival.
Jeff Shima, an esteemed professor of ecology at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, trekked into the depths of reef life to understand the spawning patterns of the sixbar wrasse.
His latest study illuminates how this fish species manipulates the moon’s cycle to give their offspring the best chance at survival, and throws open the doors to some mind-boggling biological strategies.
It’s no secret that sixbars spawn most often on a new moon. But here’s the clincher: offspring born at this time are least likely to survive. A downright paradox, right?