Comments on: Crayfish females lure males with urine, but then play hard to get

By: Krey

Krey — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 18:49:09 +0000

While the urine attracts the males, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the female is urinating in order to attract the male. It seems more likely that the attraction to urine is so that the males can differentiate between males and females and likely also contains chemical signals showing a females readiness to mate. Though not discussed here, I would guess that a pregnant female, or one already involved in raising young, would exude a urine that does not incite lustful feeling in the male.

By: Ed Yong

Ed Yong — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 21:22:02 +0000

If it’s simultaneously the best AND worst, doesn’t that automatically make it the best?

By: Tom

Tom — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 20:50:09 +0000

Ed, that’s the best/worst lede in the history of science journalism.

By: Coturnix

Coturnix — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 05:51:02 +0000

I have still to find time to read this paper thoroughly, but it will likely make me rethink the assumptions (and thus conclusions) of this study of mine (and another one that came after) in light of these findings. There is a reason why we (and others) used only male crayfish in our experiments, though we know that females also fight (with each other and with males). In more and more species it is found that aggressive behaviors, petterned or even stylized, may have evolved out of mating behavioral patterns. Which brings out the questions of the real goals of the aggressive behaviors which, in some species, was found not to be aggressive after all but rather "male-male bonding". This is unlikely in crayfish (in which male-male fights may result in death of one of the individuals, not friendship), but what if such fight-to-death behaviors in male crayfish are just male-bonding behaviors gone awry? A mistake? Gotta think about this some more...

By: Hai~Ren

Hai~Ren — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 00:45:53 +0000

I wonder if synthesising female crayfish urine in the lab and putting the chemical in traps could prove to be an effective way of controlling the invasive signal crayfish in UK waters.

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 20:19:58 +0000

What an amazing study. Blind folding crayfish, and then telling them to ‘get it on’. The most funny pic I’ve seen on this site by a good long ways.

By: Nathan Myers

Nathan Myers — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 20:12:13 +0000

Yes, if there’s no one to fight with, there’s also no one to mate with. It’s not so different for humans.

By: Matt H.

Matt H. — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 18:48:00 +0000

I’m just imagining that the urine is the equivalent to the sound of bell to start a boxing/wrestling match. “Who’s ready to rumble?”

By: Gingerbaker

Gingerbaker — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 17:24:53 +0000

I’m confused. What does this have to say about “No means no!” ;D