Flexibility of reproductive tactics and their consequences in the brood parasitic fish Pungtungia herzi (Teleostei: Cyprinidae)

Although previous studies have claimed that Pungtungia herzi (Cyprinidae) is an obligate brood parasite, in this study a significant proportion of P. herzi egg masses was found in crevices formed by stones and rocks, which was not guarded by hosts. Egg masses were also found in almost all nests of a goby Odontobutis obscura , suggesting that P. herzi has two alternative reproductive tactics: brood parasitic spawning and non-parasitic crevice spawning, the latter of which may occur when a shortage of reproductive resources ( i.e . host nests) exists. The hatching rates of parasitic egg masses were significantly higher than those of non-parasitic egg masses, and the hatching rate of P. herzi eggs exhibited a strong positive correlation with continuous egg guarding by a reproductive O. obscura male. These results indicate that brood parasitism effectively improves reproductive success in P. herzi . The alternative reproductive tactic of this species suggests that brood parasitism has evolved directly from crevice spawning via the sharing of spawning habitat with host species.     

Aspects of the spawning of labrid and scarid fishes (Pisces: Labroidei) at Enewetak Atoll,Marshall Islands with notes on other families

Synopsis Spawning of 32 species of Labridae and 13 species of Scaridae was seen at Enewetak Atoll, Marshall Islands. Most spawned on a reef bisecting the main ocean-lagoon passage which had strong tidal currents. Others spawned on lagoon reefs and in Halimeda beds. Polygynous haremic, lek-like and promiscuous mating systems were found which were species specific. Data on reproductive patterns, sexual dichromatism, sexual dimorphism, seasonality and spawning behavior were determined. Many spawned during the day in a time-phase dependent pattern from near sunrise to sunset. Scarid spawning began at slack high water or after when currents were starting to move out of the lagoon. Labrid spawning usually started about 30 min later with some continuing up to 2 h after high tide. With high tide before sunrise, scarid spawning began 30–50 min after sunrise as the current started flowing over the reef. With high tide near sunset, spawning occurred with an incoming current. Most labroids spawned on all phases of the moon. Acanthuridae (6 spp), Caesionidae (1 sp.) and Zanclidae (1 sp.) spawned after high tide at the same time as labroids. Pomacanthidae (5 spp.) spawned only shortly before sunset without reference to tidal currents. Fishes producing pelagic eggs at the lagoon-ocean channel spawned (1) at or slightly after high tide (44spp.), (2) in late afternoon without reference to tide (6 spp.) or (3) after slack low water (1 sp. ). Spawning style can vary within a single species in different environments. Despite the presence of many piscivores, no successful predation on spawning adults was seen. Predation on newly released eggs was uncommon. Labrichthys unilineata and Anampses twistii attempted to defend their eggs for a few sec after release. Attacks by piscivores on spawning adults on tropical reefs occur once per 100–1000 spawnings. Most are wary when preparing to spawn and prespawning behavior is easily interrupted. The risk from piscivores goes down and spawning ascent speed decreases with increasing size of spawners. Egg predation by zooplanktivores is less for pair spawners than group spawners possibly due to less conspicuous gamete clouds and times of spawning. Increasing height of egg release, speed and length of the spawning ascent, and trajectory alteration of ascending adults are believed to make it more difficult for zooplanktivores to locate eggs after release. For labrids, permanent full sexual dichromatism was found among haremic, lek-like and promiscuous mating systems. Species with temporary full dichromatism, permanent and temporary partial dichromatism and monochromatism were haremic. Smaller scarids were believed to have lek-like, and larger species haremic, mating systems. Smaller scarids had male looping behavior and post spawning displays, plus faster spawning ascents and different locations for egg release than larger ones. Eggs of 21 labrids were spherical or nearly spherical, ranging from 0.55–0.80 mm in diameter, and most had one oil globule. Among 7 is scarids, 6 had spindle-shaped eggs ranging from 1.25 ×0.50 mm 2.14× 0.48 mm while one had a nearly spherical egg. One scarid egg lacked an oil globule.     

Nesting in a thermally challenging environment: nest‐site selection in a rock‐dwelling gecko,Oedura lesueurii (Reptilia: Gekkonidae)

In egg‐laying species, maternal oviposition choice can influence egg survival and offspring phenotypes. According to the maternal‐preference offspring‐performance hypothesis, females should choose oviposition sites that are optimal for offspring fitness. However, in thermally challenging environments, maternal oviposition behaviour may be constrained by the limited availability of suitable oviposition sites. We investigated nest‐site selection in a nocturnal lizard [velvet gecko Oedura lesueurii (Duméril and Bibron)] that inhabits a thermally challenging environment in south‐eastern Australia. The viability of these gecko populations is critical for the persistence of an endangered snake species (Hoplocephalus bungaroides Wagler) that feeds heavily on velvet geckos. Female geckos chose nest sites nonrandomly, with 87% of nests (N = 30) being laid in deep crevices. By contrast, only 13% of clutches were laid under rocks, which were the most readily available potential nest sites. Nest success in crevices was high (100%), but no eggs hatched from nests under rocks. Temperatures in nest crevices remained relatively low and constant throughout the incubation period (mean = 22.7 °C, range 21.0–24.5 °C), whereas thermal regimes under rocks showed large diurnal fluctuations. Geckos selected crevices that were deeper, had less canopy cover, and were warmer than most available crevices; in 85% of cases, such crevices were used simultaneously by more than one female. The thermally distinctive attributes of nest sites, and their frequent communal use, suggest that nest sites are a scarce resource for female velvet geckos, and that the shading of rock outcrops through vegetation encroachment may influence nest success in this species. © 2010 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2010, 99 , 250–259.     

Experimental evidence for physical cues involved in oviposition site selection of lotic hydrobiosid caddis flies

Cues involved in determining the distribution of invertebrate propagules within a stream landscape contribute greatly to our knowledge of the supply and arrangement of new recruits and thus an improved understanding of factors that might ultimately affect population parameters. Previous observations indicated that both current velocity and rock size were important determinants of the egg mass distribution of certain hydrobiosid caddis flies that lay their eggs in single masses beneath emergent rocks. These observations were tested experimentally in a temperate, upland Australian stream. Manipulations of current speed confirmed that females of Ulmerochorema sp. and the Taschorema complex deposited more eggs on rocks in elevated current speeds (>0.40 ms(-1)) whereas Apsilochorema sp. deposited more eggs on rocks in slow currents (<0.30 ms(-1)). This latter result did not coincide with previous observational data. The anomaly between observational and experimental data, however, was reconciled by the outcome of a further experiment that tested the influence of the emergent or 'landing pad' size of rocks as the abundance of Apsilochorema egg masses increased with landing pad size independent of the prevailing flow conditions. Landing pad size did not influence the abundance of egg masses of Taschorema or Ulmerochorema. Patterns of female visits to rocks indicated that taxa might distinguish between favoured egg-laying sites prior to landing on rocks. Large aggregations of adult male and female Ulmerochorema collected from rocks favoured for oviposition provide indirect evidence for mating induced swarming behaviour associated with oviposition site selection. This study provides a framework for more sophisticated questions relating to the influence of oviposition site selection on structuring populations of lotic macroinvertebrates.     

Belly up: Reduced crevice accessibility as a cost of reproduction caused by increased girth in a rock‐using lizard

Costs of reproduction are any aspect of current reproduction that has the potential to reduce survivorship or reproductive output, and may include physiological costs or increased risks. Females of many species experience increased body mass, and increased girth, when gravid. Increased body mass reduces running speed and increases the cost of locomotion during pregnancy, but few studies have examined the cost of increased girth. If increased girth of gravid females reduces access to shelter from predators or the elements, increased girth could constitute a cost of reproduction. In the laboratory, we experimentally tested whether access to crevices was limited in viviparous, saxicolous female lizards (Eulamprus brachysoma), which use crevices for shelter, by measuring access to artificial crevices of known widths, and body height during and after pregnancy. Gravid E. brachysoma had significantly greater body height (11.2% on average), and as a result were forced to use significantly wider crevices (18.4% wider on average) than post‐parturition. Females with larger clutch sizes had wider mid‐bodies and required larger crevices. Control females, which were not gravid at either time of testing, showed no significant change in the size of crevice they could enter over time. If access to narrow crevices provides advantages such as protection from predators, or is important for thermoregulation, then gravid females may suffer a cost of reproduction because their access to narrower crevices is limited.     

以标志物对长江上游漂流性鱼卵漂流方式的研究

2008年4月7日在长江上游重庆江津-珞璜31km的江段采用标志物对自然条件下大流量河流漂流性鱼卵的漂流方式进行模拟实验。结果显示在流量稳定的情况下, 在同一投放点投放的标志物的平均漂流速度具有显著差异, 标志物在河流中的漂流密度以高峰值和低峰值相间的方式出现, 高峰值随漂流时间的增加呈逐渐下降趋势。在水平方向上标志物的分布以主流水域的漂流密度高于缓流水域, 缓流水域未采集到标志物。采用传统产卵规模计算方法对标志物投放数量进行估算,各组的估算数量均小于实际投放数量, 估算数量的准确性随漂流时间的增加而降低, 总体估算数量为实际投放数量的16.6%。根据实验结果, 建议在长江上游鱼类产卵规模计算中引入时间系数以弥补随漂流时间的增加而引起的估算准确性降低。       

Spawning by lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) in the Detroit River

Overfishing and habitat destruction in the early 1900s devastated lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) populations in the Great Lakes. Although a comprehensive restoration strategy for this species was recently drafted by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, a lack of current data on Great Lakes sturgeon stocks has hindered rehabilitation efforts. Historically, the Detroit River supported one of the largest lake sturgeon populations in the Great Lakes; however, little is known about the current population or its habitat use. The main objective of this study was to determine if lake sturgeon spawns in the Detroit River. As part of a larger study, baited setlines were used to capture lake sturgeon in the Detroit River in the spring and summer of 2000 and 2001. In each year of the study, ultrasonic transmitters were surgically implanted in 10 adult fish to track their movements, evaluate habitat use and identify possible spawning sites. Using telemetry and egg mats to verify spawning activity, one spawning site was located and verified in the Detroit River. Spawning was verified by recovering sturgeon eggs deposited on egg collection mats anchored at the site. Telemetry data suggested that several other possible spawning sites also may exist, however, spawning activity was not verified at these sites.     

Dynamic micro-geographic and temporal genetic diversity in vertebrates: the case of lake-spawning populations of brown trout (Salmo trutta)

Conservation of species should be based on knowledge of effective population sizes and understanding of how breeding tactics and selection of recruitment habitats lead to genetic structuring. In the stream‐spawning and genetically diverse brown trout, spawning and rearing areas may be restricted source habitats. Spatio–temporal genetic variability patterns were studied in brown trout occupying three lakes characterized by restricted stream habitat but high recruitment levels. This suggested non‐typical lake‐spawning, potentially representing additional spatio–temporal genetic variation in continuous habitats. Three years of sampling documented presence of young‐of‐the‐year cohorts in littoral lake areas with groundwater inflow, confirming lake‐spawning trout in all three lakes. Nine microsatellite markers assayed across 901 young‐of‐the‐year individuals indicated overall substantial genetic differentiation in space and time. Nested gene diversity analyses revealed highly significant (≤P = 0.002) differentiation on all hierarchical levels, represented by regional lakes (F_LT = 0.281), stream vs. lake habitat within regional lakes (F_HL = 0.045), sample site within habitats (F_SH = 0.010), and cohorts within sample sites (F_CS = 0.016). Genetic structuring was, however, different among lakes. It was more pronounced in a natural lake, which exhibited temporally stable structuring both between two lake‐spawning populations and between lake‐ and stream spawners. Hence, it is demonstrated that lake‐spawning brown trout form genetically distinct populations and may significantly contribute to genetic diversity. In another lake, differentiation was substantial between stream‐ and lake‐spawning populations but not within habitat. In the third lake, there was less apparent spatial or temporal genetic structuring. Calculation of effective population sizes suggested small spawning populations in general, both within streams and lakes, and indicates that the presence of lake‐spawning populations tended to reduce genetic drift in the total (meta‐) population of the lake.     

Effects of current velocity on development and survival of lingcod,Ophiodon elongatus,embryos

Synopsis The influence of current velocity on the survival and development of lingcod embryos was investigated in the field and laboratory. Examination of egg masses at five lingcod spawning sites indicated that embryo mortalities were high (up to 95%) at low-current sites because of inadequate ventilation and resulting hypoxia. Development of embryos near the center of poorly ventilated egg masses was retarded relative to development of embryos near the periphery. Hatching of embryos from poorly ventilated eggs was protracted; embryos from the interior of egg masses hatched later and were significantly smaller than embryos from eggs near the periphery. Oxygen levels measured in egg masses at low-current velocity sites during tidal flow average 16% air saturation, corresponding to a Median Tolerance Limit (LT₅₀) of about 73 h. Oxygen levels measured in egg masses at high-current velocity sites during slack water average 69% air saturation, a level that did not adversely affect the embryos. Current velocities of 10–15 cm s^–1 were needed to maintain interstitial oxygen levels in egg masses near that of the ambient water. Water movement may be an important stimulus for spawning site selection by lingcod. In areas where tidal currents were weak, spawn deposition occurred in shallow water where waves and vertical tide motion created water movement. In areas where tidal currents were strong, spawns were consistently deposited in deeper water.     

Crevice occupation by musk turtles: taxonomic distribution and crevice attributes

Musk turtles, Sternotherus, of all taxa preferentially used crevices as resting sites in laboratory pools. Crevice use was greater during the day. Larger, darker crevices that were low enough to touch the carapace were preferred. Positional preferences within crevices were for full coverage of the shell despite the head being exposed, for the low half of crevices, and for axial orientation that maximized contact between the carapace and crevice ceiling. Light but touchable portions of crevices were preferred over dark but untouchable portions, so the possibility of establishing carapacial contact with the ceiling is the definitive attribute of a satisfactory crevice. The behavioural tendency to use the lowest possible crevice may have an anti-predator function, and it is one necessary condition for existence of a selective regime in favour of depressed shells.     

Morphological and behavioural differences among recently-emerged brook charr,Salvelinus fontinalis,foraging in slow- vs. fast-running water

Synopsis Morphology and resource use were compared among recently-emerged brook charr,Salvelinus fontinalis, sampled from field locations differing in current speed. Individuals from faster running water were slightly longer, and had more fusiform body shapes and larger caudal fin heights, than individuals from slower running water. In addition, individuals from faster running water also directed more foraging attempts toward the middle of the water column and fewer toward the benthos and water surface. They also ate more dipteran larvae, fewer aquatic crustaceans, and fewer insect pupae and adults. Individuals located in the slowest and fastest current speeds made fewer foraging attempts per min, on average, than individuals located in current speeds of intermediate magnitude. Dry weight of stomach contents did not vary significantly with current speed, however. The form of the relationship between body shape and current speed suggests that it is adaptive. Small-scale variation in the location of foraging sites may account for some of the individual variability in resource use often reported for stream salmonids. Variation in the locations of foraging sites may also entail a trade-off between an individual's swimming effort and the quality of prey it consumes.     

Adaptive significance of the formation of multi-species fish spawning aggregations near submerged capes

Background

Many fishes are known to spawn at distinct geomorphological features such as submerged capes or “promontories,” and the widespread use of these sites for spawning must imply some evolutionary advantage. Spawning at these capes is thought to result in rapid offshore transport of eggs, thereby reducing predation levels and facilitating dispersal to areas of suitable habitat.

Methodology/Principal Findings

To test this “off-reef transport” hypothesis, we use a hydrodynamic model and explore the effects of topography on currents at submerged capes where spawning occurs and at similar capes where spawning does not occur, along the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. All capes modeled in this study produced eddy-shedding regimes, but specific eddy attributes differed between spawning and non-spawning sites. Eddies at spawning sites were significantly stronger than those at non-spawning sites, and upwelling and fronts were the products of the eddy formation process. Frontal zones, present particularly at the edges of eddies near the shelf, may serve to retain larvae and nutrients. Spawning site eddies were also more predictable in terms of diameter and longevity. Passive particles released at spawning and control sites were dispersed from the release site at similar rates, but particles from spawning sites were more highly aggregated in their distributions than those from control sites, and remained closer to shore at all times.

Conclusions/Significance

Our findings contradict previous hypotheses that cape spawning leads to high egg dispersion due to offshore transport, and that they are attractive for spawning due to high, variable currents. Rather, we show that current regimes at spawning sites are more predictable, concentrate the eggs, and keep larvae closer to shore. These attributes would confer evolutionary advantages by maintaining relatively similar recruitment patterns year after year.     

Maternal and environmental influences on egg size and juvenile life‐history traits in Pacific salmon

Life‐history traits such as fecundity and offspring size are shaped by investment trade‐offs faced by mothers and mediated by environmental conditions. We use a 21‐year time series for three populations of wild sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) to test predictions for such trade‐offs and responses to conditions faced by females during migration, and offspring during incubation. In years when their 1100 km upstream migration was challenged by high water discharges, females that reached spawning streams had invested less in gonads by producing smaller but not fewer eggs. These smaller eggs produced lighter juveniles, and this effect was further amplified in years when the incubation water was warm. This latter result suggests that there should be selection for larger eggs to compensate in populations that consistently experience warm incubation temperatures. A comparison among 16 populations, with matching migration and rearing environments but different incubation environments (i.e., separate spawning streams), confirmed this prediction; smaller females produced larger eggs for their size in warmer creeks. Taken together, these results reveal how maternal phenotype and environmental conditions can shape patterns of reproductive investment and consequently juvenile fitness‐related traits within and among populations.     

Aggregation and spawning of the humphead wrasse Cheilinus undulatus (Pisces: Labridae): general aspects of spawning behaviour

The humphead wrasse Cheilinus undulatus formed resident spawning aggregations daily after high tide at specific locations along the seaward edge of the Palau barrier reef. The location and extent of one aggregation site remained consistent for 6 years with no physical features distinguishing it from adjacent areas. Spawning was documented most months and probably occurred year round with possible seasonal and lunar variation. Spawning males arrived first at the site, followed by females and potentially small primary males. The aggregation female to male sex ratio was estimated to be between 6:1 and 10:1. A maximum of 15 males and 100–150 females were observed at the site. A male courtship posture with the anal fin pointed, the caudal fin folded down and the dorsal fin folded against the body was maintained while swimming a few metres off the bottom in view of females. When ready to spawn females rose up as the posturing male passed and the pair released gametes in a relatively sedate fashion near the surface along the shelf break. No attempted predation on spawning adults was seen. Egg predation after spawning was uncommon. On days with early to mid‐day high tides the spawning period started 2·0–2·5 h after high tide when the speed of lagoon–ocean tidal currents peaked and lasted c. 1 h. On days with later afternoon high tides, spawning occurred sooner after high tide and before current speeds peaked. Other fishes with planktonic eggs spawned at the site as pairs or small groups in a rough succession after high tide with C. undulatus, the last species to spawn.     

Predation of Northern Pike (Esox lucius L.) Eggs: A Possible Cause of Regionally Poor Recruitment in the Baltic Sea

Northern pike (Esox lucius) spawning habitat and egg mortality were studied in three spawning areas in 2001 along the Swedish coast of the Baltic proper: the Blekinge Archipelago, Kalmar Sound and coastal freshwater streams. Spawning peaked during the last week of April in streams, at temperatures ranging from 7.7 to 8.9 °C and during the first week of May in brackish waters, at temperatures ranging from 8.9 to 13.8 °C. Spawning occurred in shallow waters, at depths between 0.2–1.5 m, but generally most of the spawn was found in the shallowest areas. In streams, eggs were mainly attached to emersed vegetation, while in brackish sites pike eggs were well scattered among flooded emersed plants, submersed plants and filamentous algae. Mean egg density varied between 469–1829 m^–2 with the lowest density observed in Kalmar Sound. The calculated egg loss occurring from approximately one day after spawning to one day before hatching ranged from 41±7% in coastal streams to 67±6% in the Blekinge Archipelago and 100% in Kalmar Sound. The significant removal of eggs from spawning sites in Kalmar Sound and Blekinge was most likely due to predation from several fish species. In situ observations and stomach analyses suggested that many pike eggs in Kalmar Sound were lost to the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus), a species that presently dominate the littoral small fish community. This study therefore suggests that egg predation by sticklebacks and other fishes may be a possible cause of the reported poor recruitment of coastal pike populations in the Kalmar Sound region.     

Critical current speeds and microhabitats of the benthic fishes Percina roanoka and Etheostoma flabellare

Synopsis Critical current speed (maximum current speed at which benthic stream fishes are able to hold station without active swimming) was determined in a laboratory flow chamber for Percina roanoka and Etheostoma flabellare. Mean critical current speeds differed significantly among adult P. roanoka, adult E. flabellare, and juvenile E. flabellare, and were consistent with microhabitat differences among these darters in natural environments. Behavior of E. flabellare enhanced its station-holding ability, but tests with preserved individuals suggested that morphological differences explained more of the difference in critical current speeds of the darters. On a smooth surface where grasping of the substrate was not possible, use of pectoral fins did not significantly enhance the ability of darters to maintain position in flowing water.     

Aspects of the spawning of western Atlantic butterflyfishes (Pisces: Chaetodontidae)

Synopsis The status of knowledge of spawning among the five shallow waterChaetodon species in the western Atlantic is reviewed. Spawning has been observed for three species in Puerto Rico, St. Croix and the Bahamas, with possible courtship in a fourth.Chaetodon aculeatus spawned near the time of sunset over objects on the reef as single female/male pairs or as two females and one male, with pair spawning in rapid succession. Spawning occurred during much of the lunar month from February to April and it is uncertain whether any lunar periodicity to spawning exists. Male-male aggression was noted. Spawning sites (coral heads) were alternated daily and it is likely that females spawn only once every two days. A single female produced as many as 2090 eggs in a single spawning.Chaetodon capistratus spawned during much of the lunar month from February to April. It spawned about 5 min afterC. aculeatus, occasionally using the same sites, and alternated sites daily. A female produced as many as 3710 eggs in one spawning.Chaetodon striatus spawned from February to April but it is unknown if it has any lunar spawning cycle. No predation attempts by piscivores on spawning adults were seen. Predation byMelichthys niger on eggs ofC. striatus occurred. No egg predation was observed forC. aculeatus andC. capistratus. With an assumed four month reproductive season, alternate day spawning and observed egg production values,C. aculeatus andC. capistratus produce respectively about 100 000 and 200 000 eggs per large female per year. The reproductive strategy of smaller species may be to produce moderate numbers of eggs per day over a spawning season of at least a few months while larger species may produce more eggs per day for a shorter period.     

Phenotypic plasticity in the spawning traits of bigheaded carp (Hypophthalmichthys spp.) in novel ecosystems

1. Bigheaded carp, including both silver (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and bighead (H. nobilis) carp, are successful invasive fishes that threaten global freshwater biodiversity. High phenotypic plasticity probably contributes to their success in novel ecosystems, although evidence of plasticity in several spawning traits has hitherto been largely anecdotal or speculative. 2. We collected drifting eggs from a Midwestern U.S.A. river from June to September 2011 and from April to June 2012 to investigate the spawning traits of bigheaded carp in novel ecosystems. 3. Unlike reports from the native range, the presence of drifting bigheaded carp eggs was not related to changes in hydrological regime or mean daily water temperature. Bigheaded carp also exhibited protracted spawning, since we found drifting eggs throughout the summer and as late as 1 September 2011. Finally, we detected bigheaded carp eggs in a river reach where the channel is c. 30 m wide with a catchment area of 4579 km², the smallest stream in which spawning has yet been documented. 4. Taken with previous observations of spawning traits that depart from those observed within the native ranges of both bighead and silver carp, our findings provide direct evidence that bigheaded carp exhibit plastic spawning traits in novel ecosystems that may facilitate invasion and establishment in a wider range of river conditions than previously envisaged.     

Crevice spawning behavior in Dionda dichroma,with comments on the evolution of spawning modes in North American shiners (Teleostei: Cyprinidae)

The crevice spawning behavior of Diondadichroma is described for the first time, andcompared to spawning behavior in the genusCyprinella. The evolution of crevice spawningwith respect to other spawning behaviors ofNorth American shiners is examined usingexplicitly phylogenetic hypotheses for thisgroup. We present evidence that broadcastspawning is plesiomorphic and all otherspawning behaviors are independently derived. There is evidence that crevice spawning hasevolved independently at least three timeswithin the shiner clade. There is no supportfor an evolutionary transition between eggclustering and crevice spawning. Nestassociation, spawning on habitat prepared byother species, has also evolved multiple timeswithin this clade. Evolution of spawning inshiners is best described by phylogeneticstasis with several independent origins ofspecialized spawning stragegies.     

Reproductive behavior of largemouth triplefin Ucla xenogrammus (Tripterygiidae) on reefs of Kuchierabu-jima Island, southern Japan

Reproductive behaviors of the largemouth triplefin Ucla xenogrammus were observed on reefs of Kuchierabu-jima Island, southern Japan. Males exclusively maintained home ranges including spawning sites on vertical walls of overhanging reefs where filamentous algae were densely distributed. Females visited a male's home range to release adhesive eggs into the dense algae. Males guarded multiple egg clutches, but rarely showed fanning behaviors or mouth cleaning to the eggs. Aquarium experiments showed that guarding males had no significant effect on egg development. Because of the favorable water exchange conditions around their spawning sites, male U. xenogrammus could avoid the energy costs for egg care.