MashGet

In the world of fiddler crabs, the best form of protection is, apparently, prostitution, according to an Australian study published Wednesday.

Researchers from The Australian National University in Canberra found that male fiddler crabs will happily defend a female neighbor against intruders - partly because the females will dole out sex in return.

"The fact that the neighbor comes over and helps to defend another territorial individual is pretty unusual," said Michael Jennions, who helped conduct the study, the results of which were published in the journal Biology Letters.