February 12, 2016
Sea Creatures Keep The ‘Love’ Alive with Romantic Gestures
BY: Alison Shapiro
Nearly 150 million Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged each year, but if you have flippers instead of fingers, writing notes love notes just isn’t an option. So, what’s a sea creature to do?
While we’re busy buying chocolates, flowers and stuffed bears for significant others, our favorite marine animals are keeping the “love” alive in some pretty unique ways. From giving each other rocks (and not the sparkly kind) to singing heartfelt songs, these animals prove that there are lots of ways to go courting.
A PEBBLE PROPOSAL
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Penguins, with their black and white tuxedo appearance, always look like they’re ready to impress the ladies. But for gentoo penguins, they also need the perfect pebble to seal the deal. These penguins live on rocky shores and prize these small stones to build their nests during mating season. During courtship, a male penguin will choose a nest site and begin to build a nest of pebbles to try and attract a female. If she likes what she sees, she’ll join in and the two will continue building up their little pebble mound in preparation for the eggs. Of course, some birds try to take the easy way out and attempt to steal pebbles from their neighbors rather than gather them themselves!
WOOING WITH SONG
For humpback whales songs are their romantic gesture of choice. Whales rely heavily on sound to communicate in the water. And when mating season rolls around, male humpback whales will belt out amorous tunes to woo females. But these whales can’t get complacent – their songs are ever changing and evolving!
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HOLDING HANDS TO STAY CLOSE
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Sea otters lie on their backs when they’re in need of a deep doze, but their prone position also creates the perfect excuse to hold paws with their significant otter. Sea otters will either grab on to each other, or wrap themselves up in kelp, to keep from drifting apart at sea while they rest. But, it’s not all hearts and roses when it comes to mating season. Sea otters are polygynous, meaning a single male can mate with several females. This usually results in fierce competition between males to land a female.
LENDING A HELPFUL POUCH
Reproduction for seahorses is a delicate dance in which males and females aim to be perfectly in sync with each other. Studies have shown that seahorse couples will court for several hours or even days, swimming side by side to mirror each other’s movements. The longer two partners are together, the more successful they become at breeding. After mating, the male prepares to do what very few animals, including humans, are capable of doing for their lady. Male seahorses will carry up to 2,000 eggs in his pouch for up to 45 days, depending on the species, leaving the females to relax until her babies are ready to be born.
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THE ‘FRENCH’ KNOW BEST
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Monogamous French angelfish are rarely without each other: In fact, they’re almost always observed in pairs. Together, they must jointly defend their feeding territory from other hungry fishes, showing that teamwork helps build stronger bonds with your loved one. Staying together in pairs like this is a true rarity for fishes, making these bonds extra special.
Learn more about Oceana’s campaign to protect marine wildlife from future risks in our world’s oceans, or explore these animals more by visiting the Marine Life Encyclopedia.