A Fish Story
The Return of the Sturgeon
Innovative, decades-long effort brings extirpated species back to the Milwaukee River. Second in a series.
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Innovative, decades-long effort brings extirpated species back to the Milwaukee River. Second in a series. Back to the full article.
Photos - Page 2
Great article, thanks for this informative update. I love the imagry, “undulating M.C. Escher print”! But here’s a question. The “sexual drama” involving spawning (having sex), and milting (releasing of sperm) after vibrating their tails sounds an awful lot like the mammalian equivalent of penile stimulation and ejaculation, possibly with the pleasurable sensation of orgasm. Have any studies involving fish such as sturgeon experience orgasm? I realise there’s no direct way to ask the male fish if milting– or anything else, like eating certain types of food, swimming back to the rivers of choice, temperature preferences, etc.– may be pleasurable, but indirect evidence such as brain studies, Pavlovian reward paradigms, etc. may provide some evidence or their seeking pleasure and avoiding pain or other displeasures. I don’t mean to anthropomorphize sturgeon behavior, but many male vertebrates like fish due have penises or cloaca…