Homosexual Tendencies of the Atlantic Mollie Fish

An unexpected finding regarding the sexual behavior of Mollie fish has scientists of the University of Frankfurt intrigued. In a recent study researcher’s found that the mating activities of the male Atlantic Mollie (Poecilia mexicana) include homosexual advances to attract their female mates. The study posits: “Females regularly use social information to choose a mate; e.g. male attractiveness increases after a male has interacted sexually with a female (mate choice copying). Here, we demonstrate that males of the tropical freshwater fish Poecilia mexicana increase their attractiveness to females not only by opposite-sex, but likewise, through same-sex interactions.”  Male mollies will bite at the genital area of females to assert their right to mate and the study found males will perform this same act upon other male mollies. The sexual tendencies of females observing this behavior were found to increase with not only male-to-female rituals but male-to-male rituals. An adaptation to overcome shortcomings in vibrancy of color or size, males who nip at the genital area of other male mollies will attract more females and theoretically increase their reproductive potential.  Read more here!