精东传媒

Life

Female seahorses cheat on their mate when they can no longer smell him

By Christa Lest茅-Lasserre

14 June 2021

New 精东传媒. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

Lined seahorses, one male and one female, clinging to algae

Shane Gross/naturepl.com

Monogamous female seahorses cheat on their male partners when they can鈥檛 smell them any more.

鈥淪eahorses can express incredible loyalty and affection once a pair has bonded during the reproductive season,鈥 says Dong Zhang at the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences in Shanghai.

The curvy-tailed couples usually stay together for months or years. They live within a few metres of each other and meet up at daylight for 鈥渕orning greetings鈥 that reinforce their bond 鈥 swimming in parallel, brightening their hues and 鈥渄ancing鈥, says Zhang.

They reproduce through …

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox. We'll also keep you up to date with New 精东传媒 events and special offers.

Sign up

To continue reading, today with our introductory offers

or

Existing subscribers

Sign in to your account
Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop