• @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    English
    223 months ago

    Serious question: how are male and female defined, and why does the sea horse that gets pregnant count as male and not female?

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      36
      edit-2
      3 months ago

      it sounds like they consider a male seahorse a male because he produces sperm rather than eggs.

      The female seahorse drops her eggs off into a male brood pouch, a little pocket the male seahorse has on the front of him that has a placenta in it, and then he fertilizes those eggs and carries the fetuses for a few weeks and then little seahorses flutter out when he gives birth.

      there’s a video. and it’s a LOT of baby flutterhorses

      https://animals.howstuffworks.com/fish/male-seahorses-give-birth.htm

      • @einlander
        link
        English
        163 months ago

        Basically a reverse kangaroo.

        • @Viking_Hippie
          link
          English
          73 months ago

          Incidentally, “reverse kangaroo” is also a sex act that is prohibited by law in all of the states and territories of Australia, except Tasmania.

          • @Hule
            link
            English
            23 months ago

            No, it isn’t!

            I looked it up…

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      113 months ago

      Male is the sex that produces the smaller gamete, female the sex that produces the larger

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      63 months ago

      The male doesn’t get pregnant. It’s like a kangaroo with a pouch to carry the babies.