See these fish? These fish are why you should be careful when dating very well-dressed men. You see, scientists at the University of Glasgow have found that in nature, “the honesty of the signal [of sexual quality] can vary dramatically over time, depending on both the condition of the male and the likelihood of him obtaining future matings. The research suggests it may pay females to wait until ‘dishonest’ males have exhausted themselves in producing a flashy signal that they cannot sustain.”

In the case of these stickleback fish, for example, the chap who is less red would actually make a better fish boyfriend, while the redder chap, who’s less hearty, is trying too hard to demonstrate how hot he is through his colouring, because he’s actually not.

The moral of this story? From this, I extrapolate that men with fancy watches or amazingly tailored suits or who spend a lot of time at the gym do not necessarily make the best partners, because they may be trying to distract you from the fact that they are less than confident about other aspects of themselves. Something to keep in mind next time you find yourself dating a well-groomed but otherwise somewhat dubious chap. Thanks for the lesson, fish!