Lonely Jellyfish Produces Hundreds of Clones of Itself

[dipsydoodle]

When you can clone yourself, you never have to be alone -- at least that's what marine biologists at Australia's Townsville aquarium are discovering. Recently, an injured Cassiopea jellyfish that had been kept alone in its own tank was found to be suddenly and inexplicably in the company of some 200 youngsters. But as nice as it must be for the lonely jellyfish to have others around, that's not even quite the case; biologists suspect that each one of the tiny new jellyfish is actually a clone of the original. As with most cases of seemingly immaculate conception, scientists are a bit perplexed with the jellyfish's mysterious birthing. There is a chance, they say, that the sudden mother to hundreds of baby jellyfish had in fact had a brief tryst some time earlier while no one was watching, but that it wasn't likely. The most plausible explanation, it seems, is one that's far more remarkable.

http://www.treehugger.com/natural-sciences/lonely-jellyfish-produces-hundreds-of-clones-of-itself.html

Gives a whole new meaning to "go fuck yourself"

[pscot]

1. Latent pregnancy?

Fertilization supressed by crowding, then triggered by solitude?