Are we interrupting the kinky sex lives of fish? | Marah J. Hardt

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Amanda Chu

Right now,

此刻，

beneath a shimmering blue sea,

在波光粼粼的大海底下，

millions of fish are having sex.

有數百萬隻魚正在交配。

(Cheers)

（歡呼聲）

And the way they're doing it and strategies they're using

牠們交配的方式和採用的策略

looks nothing like what we see on land.

和我們在陸地上 所看見的大相逕庭。

Take parrotfish.

以鸚哥魚為例。

In this species, all fish are born female,

這種魚生出來的時候都是雌魚，

and they look like this.

看起來像這樣。

Then later in life,

長大一些之後， 有可能轉變成雄魚，

she can transition into a male and she'll look like this.

看起來就會像這樣。

But it's not just a spectacular wardrobe change.

但這種轉變並不只是 驚人的全身變裝而已。

Her body can reabsorb her ovaries and grow testes in their place.

雄魚的身體可以吸收掉自己的卵巢，

在同樣的位置長出睪丸。

In just a few weeks,

只要幾週的時間，

she'll go from making eggs to producing sperm.

牠就會從產卵轉變成製造精子。

It's pretty impressive,

挺厲害的。

and in the ocean it's also pretty common.

而在海洋中，這種現象很常見。

In fact, I bet nearly all of you have at some point had a seafood dish

事實上，我敢說在座各位

都曾吃過變過性的海鮮。

made up of an individual that started life as one sex

and transitioned to another.

Oysters?

牡蠣？

Grouper?

石斑魚？

Shrimp?

蝦子？

Seeing some heads nodding, yeah.

越來越多人點頭了。

But not all fish that change sex start as females.

但並非所有會改變性別的魚 都是從雌性開始的。

Those clown fish we know from "Finding Nemo"?

記得《海底總動員》裡的小丑魚嗎？

They're all born male.

牠們出生時都是雄性。

So in the real world,

如果是在真實世界，

when Nemo's mother died,

尼莫的媽媽死後，

Nemo's dad Marlin would have transitioned into Marlene --

尼莫的爸爸馬林就會 轉變為馬琳，

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

and Nemo would have likely mated with his father turned mother.

而尼莫很有可能會 和牠那個變成媽媽的爸爸交配。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

You can see --

這就是……

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Yeah.

是啊。

You can see why Pixar

所以說皮克斯在劇情的創意上 是有點脫離了現實規則。

took a little creative license with the plotline, right?

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

So sex change in the ocean can happen in either direction

所以，在海洋中， 兩種方向的性別改變都有，

and sometimes even back and forth,

有時甚至會來來回回，

and that's just one of the many amazing strategies animals use

在海洋中，動物有許多 不可思議的繁殖策略，

to reproduce in the ocean.

這只是其中的一招而已。

And trust me when I say

且，相信我，這一招 還是裡面最不驚人的呢。

it's one of the least surprising.

Sex in the sea is fascinating,

海洋中的性事充滿驚奇，

and it's also really important,

也相當重要，

and not just to nerdy marine biologists like me

不只是對我這種 熱衷了解這些鹹濕事的

who are obsessed with understanding these salty affairs.

怪咖海洋生物學家而言是如此。

It matters for all of us.

對所有人而言都很重要。

Today, we depend on wild caught fish

現今，我們要靠野生捕捉的魚類

to help feed over two billion people

才能供給食物給 地球上二十多億人口。

on the planet.

We need millions of oysters and corals to build the giant reefs

我們需要數百萬個牡蠣和珊瑚 才能建造出巨大的珊瑚礁，

that protect our shorelines from rising seas and storms.

來保護我們的海岸， 抵禦海水上升和暴風雨。

We depend on medicines that are found in marine animals to fight cancer

我們用來對抗癌症 和其他疾病的藥物，

有些正是來自海洋動物。

and other diseases.

And for many of us,

對我們許多人而言， 海洋的多樣性和美麗，

the diversity and beauty of the oceans is where we turn for recreation

讓我們也會選擇轉向海洋 尋求休閒、放鬆，及文化遺產。

and relaxation and our cultural heritage.

In order for us to continue to benefit from the abundance

若我們想要持續受惠於 海洋生命所提供的充沛資源，

that ocean life provides,

the fish and coral and shrimp of today

現今的魚類、珊瑚，以及蝦子

have to be able to make fish and shrimp and coral for tomorrow.

必須要能夠為未來繁殖出 魚類、珊瑚，以及蝦子。

To do that, they have to have lots and lots of sex.

為此，牠們必須要不斷努力交配。

直到最近，我們才發現 海洋中的性事是怎麼進行的。

And until recently,

we really didn't know how sex happened in the sea.

It's pretty hard to study.

這是很難研究的主題。

But thanks to new science and technology,

但是拜新科學和技術之賜，

we now know so much more than even just a few years ago,

在幾年間，我們的了解 就增加了許多。

and these new discoveries are showing two things.

這些新發現說明了兩件事。

First, sex in the sea is really funky.

第一，海洋中的性事真的很古怪。

Second, our actions are wreaking havoc on the sex lives of everything

第二，我們的所做所為 正在嚴重地破壞

從蝦子到鮭魚等各種生物的性生活。

from shrimp to salmon.

I know. It can be hard to believe.

我知道。這很難相信。

So today, I'm going to share a few details about how animals do it in the deep,

所以，今天我要來分享的是 動物深海中性生活的細節、

how we may be interrupting these intimate affairs

我們是如何打擾這些親密事，

and what we can do to change that.

及我們能做什麼改變。

So, remember those sex-changing fish?

還記得那些會改變性別的魚嗎？

In many places in the world,

在世界上許多地方，

we have fishing rules that set a minimum catch size.

我們都有捕漁規則， 只能捕捉某種體型以上的魚類。

Fishers are not allowed to target tiny fish.

漁夫不能去抓小魚。

This allows baby fish to grow and reproduce before they're caught.

這樣就會讓魚寶寶在被捕捉 之前能有機會長大、繁殖。

That's a good thing.

那是好事。

So fishers go after the biggest fish.

漁夫去捕捉最大的魚。

But in parrotfish, for example, or any sex changer,

但以鸚哥魚或任何其他 會轉變性別的魚類為例，

targeting the biggest fish means that they're taking out all the males.

漁夫把目標放在大魚身上， 就表示雄魚都會被捕走。

That makes it hard for a female fish

這麼一來，雌魚就很難找到配偶，

to find a mate

or it forces her to change sex sooner

或者牠們會被迫在體型較小的時候

at a smaller size.

就提早轉變性別，

Both of these things can result in fewer fish babies in the future.

這兩種狀況都可能會導致 未來的魚寶寶越來越少。

In order for us to properly care for these species,

為了要妥善照顧這些物種，

我們得知道牠們是否已轉變性別、

we have to know if they change sex,

how and when.

如何轉變、何時轉變。

Only then can we create rules that can support these sexual strategies,

知道這些，我們定出的規則 才能配合牠們的性別策略，

比如，除了規定 捕魚的最小體型限制，

such as setting a maximum size limit in addition to a minimum one.

另加設最大體型限制。

The challenge isn't that we can't think of these sex-friendly solutions.

困難之處並不是我們想不出 處理性別問題的解決方案。

The challenge is knowing which solutions to apply to which species,

困難之處是要知道針對每種物種 該採用哪個解決方案，

because even animals we know really well

因為，即使是我們熟知的動物，

surprise us when it comes to their sex lives.

牠們性生活也常會出乎我們的意料。

Take Maine lobster.

以緬因龍蝦為例。

They don't look that romantic,

牠們看起來沒那麼浪漫，

or that kinky.

也不像有什麼性怪癖。

They are both.

牠們兩者皆是。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

During mating season,

在交配季，

female lobsters want to mate with the biggest, baddest males,

雌龍蝦會想和最大、 最霸氣的雄龍蝦交配，

but these guys are really aggressive,

但這些雄龍蝦非常有侵略性，

and they'll attack any lobster that approaches, male or female.

任何龍蝦，不論雌雄， 只要靠近就會被牠們攻擊。

Meanwhile, the best time for her to mate with the male

同時，雌龍蝦的最佳交配時機

is right after she's molted,

是在牠們剛脫殼、

when she's lost her hard shell.

失去了堅硬外殼之後。

So she has to approach this aggressive guy in her most vulnerable state.

雌龍蝦得要在自己最脆弱的時候 去接近這個侵略性很強的傢伙。

What's a girl to do?

這女孩該怎麼做？

（笑聲）

Her answer?

她的答案？

不斷重覆用牠的尿 去噴雄龍蝦的臉。

Spray him in the face repeatedly with her urine.

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Under the sea, pee is a very powerful love potion.

在水底，尿液是 很強大的愛情魔藥。

（笑聲）

Conveniently, lobsters' bladders sit just above their brains,

方便的是，龍蝦的膀胱 剛好就位在牠們的腦子上方，

and they have two nozzles under their eye stalks

且牠們的眼柄下有兩個噴嘴，

with which they can shoot their urine forward.

讓牠們可以將尿液向前射出。

So the female approaches the male's den

所以，雌龍蝦會靠近雄龍蝦的窩，

and as he charges out she lets loose a stream of urine

當雄龍蝦衝出來時， 雌龍蝦就會放出一流尿液，

and then gets the hell out of there.

然後趕快閃開。

Only a few days of this daily dosing

持續每日這樣下藥，

is all it takes for her scent to have a transformative effect.

幾天後，雌龍蝦的氣味 便會開始產生轉變效用。

The male turns from an aggressive to a gentle lover.

侵略性強的雄龍蝦 會轉變為溫柔的愛人。

By the week's end, he invites her into his den.

一週之後，雄龍蝦就會 邀請雌龍蝦進牠的窩。

After that, the sex is easy.

在那之後，性事就容易了。

So how are we interrupting this kind of kinky courtship?

所以，我們是怎麼打擾 這種怪僻的求偶方式？

Well, the female's urine carries a critical chemical signal

雌龍蝦的尿液帶有 一種重要的化學訊號，

that works because it can pass through seawater

它的特色在於它能透過海水傳遞，

and lobsters have a smell receptor

而龍蝦有種嗅覺接受器， 夠偵測並接收這種訊息。

that can detect and receive the message.

Climate change is making our oceans more acidic.

氣候變遷讓我們的海洋酸化。

It's the result of too much carbon dioxide entering seawater.

酸化是因為有太多 二氧化碳溶入海水中。

This changing chemistry could scramble that message,

這種化學上的改變 可能會擾亂那些訊息，

or it could damage the lobsters' smell receptors.

或可能會損害龍蝦的嗅覺接受器。

Pollution from land can have similar impacts.

來自陸地的污染也會有類似的影響。

Just imagine the consequence for that female

想像一下，如果雌龍蝦的愛情魔藥 失靈了會有什麼後果。

if her love potion should fail.

These are the kinds of subtle but significant impacts we're having

這些都是我們對於海洋生命的性生活

所造成的影響， 很難察覺卻影響很大。

on the love lives of these marine life.

And this is a species we know well:

這是我們都認識的物種： 住在近海岸淺水處的龍蝦。

lobsters live near shore in the shallows.

Dive deeper, and sex gets even stranger.

再潛到更深處， 還會看到更奇怪的性事。

Fanfin anglerfish live at about 3,000 feet below the surface

大洋長鰭鮟鱇住在海面下三千英尺，

in the pitch-black waters,

一片漆黑的海底，

and the males are born without the ability to feed themselves.

雄鮟鱇魚出生時 就沒有自己覓食的能力。

To survive, he has to find a female fast.

為了生存，牠們得要 盡快找到雌鮟鱇魚。

Meanwhile, the female,

而雌鮟鱇魚

who is 10 times bigger than the male,

體型是雄鮟鱇魚的十倍，

10 times,

十倍，

she lets out a very strong pheromone with which to attract mates to her.

雌鮟鱇魚會釋放出非常強的 費洛蒙，吸引同伴過來。

So this tiny male is swimming through the black waters

小型的雄鮟鱇魚在漆黑的海水中

smelling his way to a female,

靠著嗅覺朝雌鮟鱇魚前進，

and when he finds her,

找到雌鮟鱇魚時， 便會給牠「愛的一咬」。

he gives her a love bite.

And this is when things get really weird.

從這裡開始， 狀況就變得很詭異了。

That love bite triggers a chemical reaction

那愛的一咬會觸發化學反應，

whereby his jawbone starts to disintegrate.

雄鮟鱇魚的頜骨會開始碎裂。

His face melts into her flesh,

牠的臉會溶化到雌鮟鱇魚的肉裡，

and their two bodies start to fuse.

兩隻魚的身體便開始合而為一。

Their circulatory systems intwine,

牠們的循環系統會盤繞在一起，

and all his internal organs start to dissolve

雄鮟鱇魚的所有 內部器官會開始溶解，

except for his testes.

只有牠的睪丸除外。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

His testes mature just fine and start producing sperm.

雄鮟鱇魚的睪丸會順利成熟， 並開始製造精子。

In the end, he's basically a permanently attached

最終，基本上雄鮟鱇魚

就會永久成為附著在雌鮟鱇魚身上、 有求必應精子工廠。

on-demand sperm factory for the female.

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

It's a very efficient system,

這是個非常高效率的系統，

but this is not the kind of mating strategy

但我們在農場裡不會看到 這種交配策略，對吧？

that we see on a farm, right?

I mean, this is weird.

這很怪異。真的很奇怪。

It's really strange.

But if we don't know that these kinds of strategies exist

但如果我們不知道這些策略的存在

or how they work,

或它們的原理，

we can't know what kind of impacts we may be having, even in the deep sea.

就不會知道我們 對深海可能造成什麼影響。

Just three years ago,

三年前，

we discovered a new species of deep sea octopus

我們發現了一種新的深海章魚，

where the females lay their eggs on sponges attached to rocks

雌章魚會把卵產在 附著於岩石的海綿上，

that are over two and a half miles deep.

深度超過兩英里半。

These rocks contain rare earth minerals,

這些岩石含有稀土金屬礦物，

and right now there are companies that are building bulldozers

而現在有些公司在開發推土機，

that would be capable of mining the deep sea floor for those rocks.

能夠在深海的海底開採這些岩石。

But the bulldozers would scrape up all the sponges

但推土機也會把 所有的海綿都刮下來，

and all the eggs with them.

海綿上的卵也在劫難逃。

Knowingly, and in many cases unknowingly,

我們一直在阻擾 深海中的交配和繁殖，

we are preventing successful sex and reproduction in the deep.

有時是有心的，多半是無心的。

And let's be honest,

老實說，

dating and mating is hard enough without somebody coming in

在沒人不斷打擾的情況下， 約會和交配就已經夠難了，對吧？

and interrupting all the time, right?

I mean, we know this.

這點我們很清楚。

So today, while I hope you will leave here

所以，今天我希望大家在離開這裡後

with some excellent bar trivia on fish sex --

能帶走一些魚類交配的小知識， 當作酒吧聊天的話題。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

I also ask that you remember this:

但也要請大家記住：

we are all far more intimately connected with the oceans than we realize,

不論我們住在何處， 我們與海洋的連結

no matter where we live.

比我們所知道的還要更緊密很多。

And this level of intimacy

而這種緊密程度

requires a new kind of relationship with the ocean,

讓我們必須與海洋建立一種新關係。

one that recognizes and respects the enormous diversity of life

這種關係要能了解並尊重

生命的豐富多樣性及其限制。

and its limitations.

We can no longer think of the oceans

我們不能再繼續認為海洋 離我們很遙遠，

as just something out there,

because every day we depend on them for our food security,

因為我們的糧食供應、

our own health and wellness,

自身的健康安樂，

and every other breath we take.

以及我們所呼吸的每一口空氣 都要仰賴海洋。

But it is a two-way relationship,

這個關係是雙向的。

and the oceans can only continue to provide for us

若希望海洋繼續提供食物給我們，

if we in turn safeguard that fundamental force of life in the sea:

我們也相對要守護 海洋生命的基礎動力：

sex and reproduction.

性事和繁殖。

So, like any relationship, we have to embrace some change

和所有的關係一樣， 要讓這段合作關係走下去，

for the partnership to work.

我們就得要擁抱改變。

The next time you're thinking about having seafood,

下次你考慮要吃海鮮時，

look for sustainably caught or farmed species

請選擇以永續方式 捕捉或養殖的當地品種，

that are local and low on the food chain.

且最好是位在食物鏈下段的。

These are animals like oysters, clams, mussels,

屬於這類的動物 包括牡蠣、蛤蜊、蚌，

small fish like mackerel.

以及鯖魚這類小型魚。

These all reproduce like crazy,

這些動物都會瘋狂繁殖，

and with good management, they can handle a bit of fishing pressure.

只要管理好，一點捕魚壓力 對牠們來說是沒問題的。

We can also rethink what we use to wash our bodies,

我們也要重新思考 在洗澡、清理房子，

clean our homes

and care for our lawns.

及照顧草皮時，要使用什麼。

All of those chemicals eventually wash out to sea

我們所用的這些化學物質， 最終都會被沖入海洋，

and disrupt the natural chemistry

影響海洋的天然化學特性。

of the ocean.

Industry also has to play its part

工業也要負起責任，

and take a precautionary approach,

採用預防措施，

protecting sexual activity where we know it exists

保護我們已知現有的交配活動，

and preventing harm in the cases where we just don't yet know enough,

對於我們了解不足之處 ——像是深海——

like the deep sea.

則要盡量避免造成傷害。

And in the communities where we live,

在我們居住的社區裡、

the places we work

工作的地點中，

and the country in which we vote,

及我們擁有投票權的國家中，

we must take bold action on climate change now.

我們現在就必須要針對 氣候變遷採取大膽的行動。

(Audience: Yeah!)

（觀眾：是啊！）

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）