Protection and exploitation fuse so thoroughly that victims cannot distinguish them.

Evidence

20. T. Koga et al., “Male-Biased Predation of a Fiddler Crab,” 201–7. Predation isn’t always male biased, however. For example, another study found that ibis preferred female fiddlers over males, perhaps because big claws made males harder to swallow. — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 774 (#expands, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Sexual weapons sometimes protect rather than burden their bearers from predators — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 774; Protection is a double-edged commodity blending shelter with extortion; The victim role shifts as protected parties alternately lose their protectors

Related

• Sexual weapons sometimes protect rather than burden their bearers from predators (similarity 0.89)
• Predation risk is a near-universal cost of elaborate weapons (similarity 0.79)

Broader Connections

• Sexual weapons sometimes protect rather than burden their bearers from predators #expands (0.75) — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 774