Female Guppies Learn to Outswim Unwanted Male Attention

Tired of unwanted sexual advances, female guppies have learned to outswim their aggressive male counterparts, according to new research from the universities of Glasgow and Exeter.

Over a period of several months, biologists subjected different groups of female guppies to varying levels of harassment from males. At the end of the trial period, the frequently harassed females swam much more efficiently than their undisturbed peers.

"An important factor appears to be swimming technique, and female guppies that experienced lower levels of harassment spent more time swimming with their pectoral fins extended, an indicator of an inefficient swimming technique," study author Shaun Killen explained in a news release.

Killen and his colleagues likened the guppy's improvement in swimming technique to an athlete that trains to improve performance.

From Discovery News