A late study published in the daybook Biology Letters account an unruly scene stumbled across by Dr Reuben Shipway from the University of Portsmouth when analyse simoleons . The focus metal money , also known asshipworms , are a sexuality - fluid , louse - same animal that is infamous for wreaking havoc on ships , piers , and sour grass as it munches through the wood . Here , it sits with two body function protruding , one for prey and the other for getting rid of waste . Shipway was supervise the generative wont of shipworms when one day he experience something unexpected .
" When we first noticed these beast reproducing in the marine museum , we could n’t believe what we were seeing , ” he say in astatement . “ They were using their syphon to squirm and inseminate one another and trade wind sperm . As far as we know , this wrestling and jousting has n’t been reported before . "
The competitive sexual frenzy stretch before his eyes saw the clams competing for who had the most impressive appendages for hours at a meter . This sort of sparring between mortal is a novel observation for teredinid congress , bring out new perceptiveness into the reproductive use of these marine pests .
The indecent footage reveals a string of worms exchanging spermatozoon , with some person being on the receiving remnant of sperm at one end of a siphon while founder their own sperm cell to someone else using the other . There are also some dirt ball removing rival ’s sperm cell while they squirm their style towards replacing it with their own . The debauchery involved 74 of the 79 shipworms stuffed inside a unmarried piece of wood , the remaining five of which were but too far away to get involved .
The researchers were able to review up shut the process that unfolds during shipworm relation . First of all , teredinid looking to sow in another will march across some wood until they encounter a willing recipient role siphon . They then clamp down and entwine with the recipient , exchange sperm in the cognitive process . In areas of high competition , such as our 74 - worm sex frenzy , siphons will wrestle for the chance to checkmate . Once copulation is successfully discharge , the fertilized bollock are liberate into the ocean .
" It ’s a rare and sophisticated figure of generative behaviour , with spar between rival mates , pulling potential mates closer and off from competition , and going as far as to include pull a rival ’s sperm out of a siphon so it floats away , ” said Shipway . " Shipworms have evolved a stunning diversity of generative strategy , some simply spawn their testicle and sperm into the water , some levy a hareem of dwarf males to mate with , and now we experience they compete to directly fertilise each other using their siphons . "
