Page 66 - Devotion Among Animals Revealing the Work of God

DEVOTION AMONG ANIMALS

eggs to hatch. In species that leave their eggs exposed in an open nest,
one or both parents guard them. In many species, only the male fish
builds the nest and guards the fertilized eggs.
The nests of some other species are more complex. Male stickle-
backs, found in rivers and ponds in North America and Europe, build
nests even more sophisticated than those of most bird species. The stick-
leback collects plant material and secretes a substance produced in its
kidneys to bond it together. It swims along and around this material to
give it an oblong shape, then finally forces its way through the middle,
to form a tunnel through which water can circulate. If a female ap-

It's not widely known that fish build nests. Many freshwater fish species build
nests for their eggs and young, and also guard their eggs until they hatch.
Above: A nest made of gravel and seashells, and the larvae inside the nest.

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