Tuesday 28 June 2011

Magpie Tales #71 Pipefish

Thanks go to Tess Kincaid who organises and hosts this meme J To read more Magpies please click here
 Endeavor, Lino Tagliapietra, Columbus Museum of Art

Pipefish

Pipefish swim in seas or aquaria, 
Sea-horses too, delight our eyes; 
In fishy realms they’re father and carer,  
Gentle nursemaids in bright disguise.

Be aware they have a much darker side -
If they mate a female who’s ugly
They won’t feed the babes and when they have died
They’ll seek out a beauty quite smugly. 

And so evolution continues apace –
The fittest survive, that’s the law;
Not only the strong, the comeliest face
Is chosen, is honoured, therefore.


(For more information on Pipefish abortion, please see here.)

25 comments:

  1. oh the price of beauty...we tend to eat our ugly as well...

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  2. Beautiful poem. I never knew that about Sea Horses!

    Ellie Garratt

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  3. I didn't know that either wow that is awful. Beautiful poem though, very affecting

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  4. You and they are mean.

    What happens when beauty and comeliness disappear into an aged visage? Besides, you are causing laughter lines. That's not fair either.

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  5. Male abortions. Fascinating, Janice. Who would ever have imagined such a thing? What I'd want to know, however, is why they mated with the ugly one in the first place? Males can't wait? Then they think "oops"?
    K

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  6. Brian - really??
    Ellie - nor did I until I checked them out;-)
    mindlovemisery - that's life!! (or death;-))
    Friko - I speak as I find . . .
    Kay - when the offering is there, who thinks?? Better a poor generation than none;-)

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  7. Fun poem AND educational? Well done! I think this prompt has brought out some of the most varied and interesting magpies . . .

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  8. Very interesting. I read that some scientists put a red ribbon on a seagull and the other seagulls killed it. I suppose it is natures way of keeping out mutants like the X Men.

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  9. I never knew about Pipefish. I guess there are no ugly males in their society? Seems a bit one sided to me-LOL! I enjoyed your poem though...

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  10. Susan - I think you may be right:-)
    Belle - yes!
    Susan - it makes a change from the females deciding who makes the cut (except in human society of course!)

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  11. whatmakes an ugly seahorse? a face a bit human-like? how do we know it is ugliness the sea-stallions are basing their decisions on - perhaps the unfavoured mares smell fishy ...

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  12. Not exactly the ideal father figure.

    I never knew that about Pipefish, very interesting information.

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  13. Intriguing! You make good use of it in your poem. Excellently done.

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  14. Who knew Pipefish were so picky?

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  15. Isabel - LOL!! As with many things, it's size that matters. The males prefer larger females . . .
    Squirrel Queen - at least the female never (presumably) realises her offering has been rejected;-)
    Dave - I thought it was intriguing too:-)

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  16. Just as well they're not human or they'd be in big trouble

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  17. Pipefish are the super models of the sea world!!

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  18. Very nice and very interesting!
    Thanks for sharing;o)

    ***
    Hope you are having a nice and happy week***

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  19. hmmm I'm still thinking about this one

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  20. Fascinating, learned something new; well-written!

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  21. Fun and informative - didn't know seahorses were that choosy!

    Anna :o]

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  22. Thank you all for your comments:-) I always enjoy learning something new and my mind is a veritable dustbin of useless information . . .

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  23. So the homely seahorses' babies are eaten. I never knew that. What makes an ugly seahorse?? They all look the same to me. I guess you have to be a Mr. seahorse to know the difference. Maybe they mate with the ugly ones when food is scarce.
    Nice Magpie.

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  24. Fascinating and informative to boot. Like it very much. Man has been known to choose a less attractive mate than himself so that the attention stays on him!! I lie not!

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