Just when you thought humans couldn't dick up the planet any more than they already had/were/are bound to do, they go and do it again.
To be fair, the latest example of dick-uppery is a fairly recent discovery and completely inadvertent, caused primarily by chemicals from contraceptive pills, without the use of which we'd probably have a lot more humans dicking and upping the planet. Swings and roundabouts.
Still, the chemicals are bad news for fish (which live in water). A recent study shows that a number of the sea-dwelling creatures have started to turn transgender. Go fish.
Source: Creative Commons
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The University of Exeter (conveniently close to the sea) found that around one fifth of male river fish (probably makes that sea-convenience bit redundant) have started to display feminised traits. I'm not touching that one with a joke-shaped bargepole, so I'll just give you the facts here.
The unlucky (or lucky depending on your view) fish have been shown to produce eggs, but more commonly have a lower sperm quality and are less aggressive and competitive which, in the animal world (much like the human one, sadly), results in them breeding unsuccessfully.
While chemicals from contraceptives are partly responsible, blame also lies with by-products from cleaning agents, plastics and cosmetics. Go humanity.
The researchers noted that over 200 chems from sewage plants had been identified with oestrogen (the steroid hormones which promote the development and maintenance of female characteristics of the body). They also revealed that other drugs such as antidepressants have been known to alter fishy-wishy behaviour as well.
Source: The Little Mermaid / Disney
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While this may be the first time fish have been officially recognised as transgender, marine life have a long and illustrious history of transgressing the laws of nature. Those who have seen Disney classic The Little Mermaid will remember part-fish, part-woman Ariel, who didn't let having a fish's body instead of legs get in the way of her becoming the poster girl for every teenage boy growing up in the Noughties. What? That was just me?
And just in case you were thinking you could recreate the above discoveries at home, don't go putting your sister's pills or your brother's roids in your other brother's goldfish bowl. It won't result in mutant megafish scaring the crap out of transgender craniates. It will just cause a lot of mess. Which is fun, too, I suppose.
Words: Ronan O'Shea
Featured Image Credit: Creative Commons / Instagram