Just thought you might be interested to know that I found this article via a newsgroup featuring story links of interest to transgender and intersex activists…many of whom fight a daily battle to convince their detractors that they are simply incorrect in thinking that God’s plan for all of creation is strict sexual dimorphism and heterosexual reproduction, and that anything else is an abomination.

Of course people who believe that, many of whom consider themselves crusaders in a “culture war” of biblical proportions, read those kinds of sites too for reconnaissance purposes…so don’t be surprised if you find yourself accused of helping to “confuse” the little children and indoctrinate them with “the homosexual agenda” by reporting on “mentally disturbed” barnacles who think they are something other than strictly male or female, who engage in “perverted” sex practices.

Sadly, I’m only half joking.

One question though. I can see the advantage of a highly plastic penis size in the species, but I wouldn’t think that wave and current conditions change radically at a site after a barnacle settles out. So the first season the barnacle has as adult the ah, die could be cast as it were. What is the energetic cost difference of maintaining one penis, molded to the environmental conditions, versus regrowing the penis every year and then maintaining it for the season?