News Animals

Fish That Decorate: Females prefer nests with pizzazz

By Susan Milius

- More than 2 years ago

Biology has met home-decorating TV.

PREFERRED PAD. Stickleback females in the lab prefer algal nests with colorful foil strips (above). A male (below, arrow) brings home a red strip to brighten his prospects. Östlund-Nilsson and Holmlund

Östlund-Nilsson and Holmlund

In spring, some male fish build nests of algae where females visit and occasionally deposit eggs.