1. Breeding pattern and nest guarding in Sicyopterus lagocephalus, a widespread amphidromous Gobiidae
- Author
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Philippe Gaudin, Nils Teichert, Marine Richarson, M. Metzger, P. Keith, Pierre Valade, Ecologie Comportementale et Biologie des Populations de Poissons (ECOBIOP), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour (UPPA), Association Réunionnaise pour le Développement de l'Aquaculture, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN), Centre Régional d'Application Aquacole, Organisme Consultant en Environnement Aquatique, Fédération Départementale de Pêche et de Protection du Milieu Aquatique de la Réunion, Partenaires INRAE, and The present study was conducted with the financial support of Electricite ́De France (22-30 avenue de Wagram, 75382 Paris Cedex 8), Office de l’Eau Reunion (49 rue Mazagran, 97 400 Saint Denis), Region Reunion (Avenue Rene ́Cassin, BP 7190, 97719 Saint Denis cedex 9), Parc National de La Reunion (112 rue Sainte Marie, 97400 St Denis) and the European Union (European Social Fund)
- Subjects
biology ,Hatching ,Ecology ,[SDV.BA]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Animal biology ,Goby ,Zoology ,nest size ,Sicyopterus lagocephalus ,biology.organism_classification ,Nest ,Animal ecology ,Sexual selection ,mating system ,sexual selection ,Animal Science and Zoology ,Reproductive value ,nest guarding ,Parental investment ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,nest choice - Abstract
Amphidromous gobies are usually nest spawners. Females lay a large number of small eggs under stones or onto plant stems, leaves or roots while males take care of the clutch until hatching. This study investigates the breeding pattern and paternal investment of Sicyopterus lagocephalus in a stream on Reunion Island. In February 2007 and January 2010, a total of 170 nests were found and the presence of a goby was recorded at 61 of them. The number of eggs in the nests ranged from 5,424 to 112,000 with an average number of 28,629. We showed that males accepted a single female spawning in the nest and cared for the eggs until hatching. The probability for a nest to be guarded increased with the number of eggs within it, suggesting that paternal investment depends on a trade-off between the reproductive value of the current reproduction and future nesting events. We showed that large nest stones were occupied by large males (TL >80 mm), whereas smaller males (TL
- Published
- 2013
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