Pages

A universe of beauty, mystery and wonder

A universe of beauty, mystery and wonder
©http://ottersandsciencenews.blogspot.ca/ UNAUTHORIZED USE AND/OR DUPLICATION OF THIS BLOG'S MATERIAL IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED. EXCERPTS AND LINKS MAY BE USED, PROVIDED THAT FULL AND CLEAR CREDIT IS GIVEN TO OTTERS AND SCIENCE NEWS BLOGSPOT WITH APPROPRIATE AND SPECIFIC DIRECTION TO THE ORIGINAL CONTENT. --- THE FACTS AND OPINIONS POSTED ON THIS BLOG ARE HERE FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSE AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS AND OPINIONS OF THIS BLOG'S ADMINISTRATOR.

Thursday, July 18, 2013

SEA CREATURE CAN BREED WITH ITSELF

Piures live off the coast of Chile and Peru, look like a rock covered in molluscs - very well camouflaged - and are considered a delicacy in Chile. 
 
The Piure is born a male, then develops female organs and can breed with himself, herself itself.  It is what we call a hermaphrodite.  If that isn't weird enough, its blood contains large amounts of the metal vanadium. 
 
PYURA CHILENSIS, or PIURE in Spanish, belongs to a class of sac-like marine life known as sea squirts.
 
How it breeds with itself
 
The Piure releases eggs from its female organs at the same time it releases sperm from its male gonads into the seawater. If the eggs and sperm collide, they form a 'fertile cloud' that will produce tadpole-style children.  These male tadpoles will then settle onto a nearby rock and grow into adults. 
 
Piures only breed like this when they are alone. If there are other members of the species nearby, they will choose to cross-breed to increase the chances of success. (Sexual reproduction also contributes to combining both parents' DNA and therefore have a greater chance of stronger offspring.)
 
It gets more bizarre.
 
Piure's blood contains a high level of vanadium - up to TEN MILLION TIMES the amount found in the surrounding sea water. 
 
Vanadium is a hard, silvery grey metal that is used to make steel alloys.  It occurs naturally in more than 60 different minerals around the world. 
 
Because of this metal in Piure's blood, there should be caution regarding its consumption.
 
 
 
 

No comments:

Post a Comment

Thank you for visiting my blog. Your comments are always appreciated, but please do not include links.