An Atlantic molly (Poecilia mexicana) Photo: Alamy
Researchers discovered a tropical male fish that becomes more attractive to females when it displays homosexual behaviour.
Scientists believe homosexuality is widespread throughout the animal kingdom. But it can be puzzling since males that prefer same sex relations father fewer offspring than their heterosexual counterparts.
Research has shown the female Atlantic molly (Poecilia mexicana) prefer mating partners whom they saw having sex with a female - a phenomenon called mate copying.
This also occurred when males interacted sexually with another male, according to the findings published in Biology Letters.
Male fish can therefore increase their attractiveness towards females by displaying homosexual behaviour and thereby improve their chances of future heterosexual mating, the scientists believe.
"in most species, however, males that engage in same-sex sexual behaviour also mate with females, and in theory, same-sex mating could even increase male reproductive fitness if males improve their chances of future heterosexual mating.
"females regularly use social information to choose a mate; E.g male attractiveness increases after a m male has interacted sexually with a female (mate choice copying).
" Here we demostrate that males of the tropical fresh water fish poecilia mexicana increase their attractiveness to females not only by opposite-sex, but likewise, through same-sex interactions.
"hence, direct benefit for male of exhibiting homosexual behaviour may help explain its occurrence and persistence in species in which females rely on mate choice copying as one component of mate quality assessment,"
source ; telegraph.co.uk
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