15 Jan 2024

NZ pipefish stand out

From Morning Report, 8:57 am on 15 January 2024

New Zealand's pipefish stand out from all others across the globe in a newfound peculiar way.

The average-looking males are the ones to carry the babies of their technicoloured female partners.

But to mate in the first place, the males must first perform a dance best described as a "wiggle" to entice their partners.

Dr Sarah Flanagan, a senior lecturer at the University of Canterbury's School of Biological Sciences, spoke to Ben Strang.