AP Photo

1
AP Photo
2
Benthic Spawning

• Demersal eggs
• Sink or attached to substrate
• Mostly freshwater fishes, some marine
• Parental care
• Do nothing
• Guard eggs
• Nest and guard
• Carry eggs / brood around

Perciformes Callionymidae Synchiropus
splendidus (Ken Knezick, Island Dreams)
Cypriniformes Cyprinidae Nocomis
biguttatus (William Roston)
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Parental Care

• 23 of Actinopterygii
• Male parental care 21
• Female/biparental care 2
• Why is male parental care effective?
• Male strategies
• Egg mimicry
• Egg raiding
• Allopaternal care

• 23 of Actinopterygii
• Male parental care 21
• Female/biparental care 2
• Why is male parental care effective?
• Male strategies
• Egg mimicry
• Egg raiding
• Allopaternal care

Perciformes Apogonidae Vincentia
novaehollandiae (Australian Museum Online)
Perciformes Cichlidae Pseudotropheus
zebra (Marc Elieson)
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Internal Fertilization

• Ovoviviparity
• Yolk provides nutrients
• Small larvae
• Viviparity
• Mother provides nutrients
• Large, active larvae

Carchariniformes Carcharhinidae
Negaprion (Sharkattacks.com)
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Larval Development

• Prevalent in marine and open freshwater fishes
• Potential dispersal phase of weeks to months
• Greatest mortality
• what is advantage?

Anguilliformes Anguillidae Anguilla (ImageQuest3
D)
Stomiiformes Stomiidae Idiacanthus sp. (Carole
Baldwin, NMNH)
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Mating Systems

• Promiscuity
• Spawning aggregations
• Monogamy
• Rare
• Polygyny
• most common
• Polyandry
• Rare

Perciformes Chaetodontidae Chaetodon
semilarvatus
Lophiiformes Linophrynidae Linophryne
mollis (Encyclopedia of Fishes)
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Alternative Male Strategies
http//publish.uwo.ca/bneff/

• Sneaker
• smallest males dash in
• Satellite
• males mimic female

• Cockholdry
• large territorial males
• small males usurp large male

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Hermaphroditism

• At least 14 families
• Sequential
• Protogyny female first
• Labrids, scarids, serranids
• Protandry male first
• Amphiprion
• Synchronous (rare)
• male and female at same time
• Hypoplectrus

Perciformes Serranidae Hypoplectrus
guttivarius (digitaldiver.com)