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Doubling the odds

Every morning the female banded pipefish travels from her sleeping site to find her male partner. Performing a courtship dance, the male encourages the female to release her eggs which he then stores on his body. The female will continue to meet the male daily to reaffirm their bond, until the eggs hatch. Because the male takes charge of the eggs, the female can begin producing a second batch. Sharing the work doubles the number of offspring they can produce.

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3 minutes

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