The wild sex lives of marine creatures - Luka Seamus Wright

譯者: Camila Lin 審譯者: Yi-Ping Cho (Marssi)

A June full moon is glowing upon this reef in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

六月的滿月正照耀著 太平洋中央的這座珊瑚礁。

Beneath the surface, 17,000 camouflage groupers dart about in the cloudy water.

海平面下，17,000 隻 清水石斑魚正在混濁的水中快速游動，

What you’re witnessing is, in fact, an underwater orgy—

你眼前的這副景象， 其實是場水下的性愛狂歡，

turned feeding frenzy.

但很快地就成了眾鯊爭相搶食的大餐。

The water is hazy because groupers are ejecting sperm and eggs in dense clouds.

水之所以混濁不清，是因為石斑魚 正在噴出高密度的精子與卵子。

This spawning behavior happens during full and new moons,

這種產卵行為在新月與滿月時發生，

when strong tidal currents carry the fertilized eggs

那時強勁的潮流會將這些受精卵

away from corals and other voracious predators on the reef.

從珊瑚蟲與珊瑚礁中的 貪婪掠食者身邊帶走。

An orgy might seem like a rather flamboyant way to breed,

性愛狂歡看起來是華麗的繁衍方式，

but sex in the sea is a surprisingly inventive affair.

但海中性愛是十分有創意的風流韻事。

In fact, most of those voracious corals use male and female sex organs

事實上，這些飢渴的珊瑚蟲

大多都同時使用 雄性與雌性的生殖器官。

at the same time.

Corals also have mass spawning episodes,

珊瑚也會大量產卵，

but they release buoyant bundles of eggs and sperm all at once.

但牠們卻會一次噴出精卵束。

This happens around half-moons,

這種行為可在上下弦月時見到，

when weaker tides calm the water’s surface,

這時的潮汐較弱，海平面趨於平穩，

creating the perfect conditions for their sex cells to couple up.

為珊瑚生殖細胞的配對創造完美條件。

During these events, there can be hundreds of coral eggs

在產卵過程中，一公升的表層海水裡，

and more than a billion sperm floating in every liter of surface seawater,

可能就漂浮著數百顆卵 與超過十億個精子，

where they create a sticky slick.

讓水變得黏糊。

But corals are far from the only animals in the sea that can express two sexes.

但珊瑚蟲不是海洋中 唯一具雙性特徵的動物。

Nearby, a humphead wrasse is undergoing a remarkable transformation.

在這附近，有隻龍王鯛 正在經歷一場非凡的變身。

These fish breed in groups where one male fertilizes several females.

這些魚會集體繁殖， 一隻公魚會使許多母魚受精，

And, likely because there aren’t many dominant males around,

也許是因為這附近沒有 多少較強勢的公魚，

the largest female is becoming one.

最大的母魚正在變成公魚。

Unlike corals, humphead wrasse can switch sexes,

和珊瑚蟲不同的是， 龍王鯛能轉換自己的性別，

but they only exhibit one sex at a time.

但一次只能擁有單一性徵。

The wrasse changes colors, loses her eyeline, and grows dramatically.

這隻龍王鯛轉換體色，掉了眼線， 體型也變得巨大。

Soon, the metamorphosis is complete, and he can fertilize the females’ eggs,

很快地，她變性完成， 現在他能讓雌魚的卵受精，

ensuring that procreation persists.

確保繼續繁衍。

Interestingly, this bluestreak cleaner wrasse

有趣的是，這隻正在清掃 龍王鯛的裂唇魚

that’s grooming the humphead was also once a female.

也曾是隻母魚。

But unlike the humphead, he can change sex again should he become single.

但和龍王鯛不同的是， 在他恢復單身後，又能再度切換性別。

About 7,000 kilometers away, in the shallows of eastern Australia,

大約在 7,000 公里外， 澳洲東方的淺水處，

this male mourning cuttlefish boasts a much sneakier mating strategy.

這隻公墨魚想出了 一個更鬼祟的求偶策略。

A female cuttlefish has garnered his attention,

一隻母墨魚吸引了他的注意，

but she’s also attracted another male.

但她也吸引了另一隻公墨魚。

Competing directly with this rival would be a demanding ordeal,

直接和對手競爭 是很耗時費力的嚴峻考驗，

so the cuttlefish opts for trickery instead.

所以這隻公墨魚決定用詭計取勝。

Positioning himself between the female and his rival,

將自己卡入雌性與雄性敵手之間，

on one side, he displays a mottled skin pattern

在這面，他展示了斑駁的花紋，

resembling that of a female to appease the competitor.

用類似雌性的花樣來安撫競爭者；

On the other, he flashes a shimmering courtship display at the female

在另外一面，它則對雌性 展現亮麗的紋路以示追求，

and covertly passes her parcels of sperm.

並偷偷地將精子接二連三遞給她。

This duplicitous strategy allows the male to reproduce without putting up a fight.

這種雙面策略讓雄性 不用打架就能繁衍後代。

These sexual escapades are just a sampling of what goes on beneath the waves.

這些危險而奇妙的性愛， 只是海平面下方的冰山一角。

The striking diversity of sex in the sea

海洋中這樣驚人多樣的性愛

is partially enabled by water’s unique physical properties.

某部分也歸功於水的獨特物理性質。

Its stable temperature and high density help preserve and disperse

水穩定的溫度與高密度 有助於保存與擴散

reproductive cells.

生殖細胞。

Unless land organisms return to the water to reproduce

除非陸生生物回到水中繁衍，

or have specially adapted sex cells, their options are limited.

或是擁有特殊的性器， 否則他們沒有太多選擇。

For many terrestrial animals,

對許多陸生動物來說，

reproduction is usually only possible internally,

繁衍通常都需要體內交合，

with organs that resemble the moist ocean environment.

使用相似於潮濕海洋環境的性器。

This restriction may cause us to see only one facet of sex,

這種限制可能會讓我們 只看見性的一個面向，

but a brief tour of marine life shows us just how diverse sex really is.

但短短的海洋生物之旅 就讓我們看見性的多樣性。

It does not always involve strictly female and male individuals

性不總是發生在雄性與雌性個體之間，

with differently sized sex cells that fuse internally.

也不一定和不同尺寸的 生殖細胞結合有關。

Many algae, for example, have sex cells that are indistinguishable in size.

例如，許多海藻的生殖細胞 都難以用尺寸區分。

Some animals are both male and female, while others change sex.

有些動物是雙性， 而有些動物則會改變性別。

A large proportion of organisms don’t need to touch each other to reproduce.

有一堆動物都不需要碰到對方， 就能繁衍下一代。

And thousands of animals, from bluestreak cleaner wrasse to Humboldt squid,

從裂唇魚到美洲大赤魷，

participate in same-sex sexual behavior.

數千種動物都會進行同性性行為。

So, peeking beneath the ocean’s covers doesn’t just provide a spectacle.

所以，窺探海洋深處，不只 讓我們進行一場奇觀之旅，

It also gives us a more complete appreciation of sex

也給了我們一個更完整的機會，

in all its fascinating forms.

欣賞性愛的各種奇妙形式。