Life history strategies of the Scotia Sea icefish, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chaenocephalus aceratus</Emphasis>, along the Southern Scotia Ridge

Reproductive capacity can influence distribution and abundance over large spatial scales through larval dispersal, even when adult stages remain isolated following settlement. We examined size distribution, reproductive traits and age structure in Scotia Sea icefish, Chaenocephalus aceratus, an abundant benthic species with a long larval pelagic phase found on continental shelves along the Southern Scotia Ridge. In particular, we compared life history strategies between fish caught during surveys undertaken off the South Orkney Islands (SOI) and South Shetland Islands (SSI). Results corroborated regional separation after settlement and suggested distinct life history strategies, in which fish from SOI invested much less in reproduction, and somewhat more in somatic growth earlier in their life history. Compared to SSI, body weight increased faster with length and absolute fecundity was 46 % lower and increased more slowly with size for SOI population. In addition, the proportion of spawning cohorts and L _∞ was lower and k higher for SOI. The differences appeared to be a phenotypic response to environmental conditions related to regional hydrography. Lower reproductive capacity around the SOI, and strong eastward flow in the large-scale circulation, suggests that the SSI may be more important in influencing distributions and abundance of icefish along the Southern Scotia Ridge.     

Evolutionary Consequences of Desiccation Resistance in the Male Ejaculate

Avoiding water loss for insects is critical for survival. Selection for reduced water loss will depend on trade-offs between resources allocated for reproduction and those allocated for resisting desiccation. However, we lack knowledge on how selection for desiccation resistance can affect the male ejaculate. Furthermore, as male ejaculate composition is complex, desiccation resistant females could evolve traits that enable them to derive longevity benefits from mating. Here, we assessed how selection for desiccation resistance impacts male testes and accessory gland size, protein content of these organs, female sperm storage and male ability to inhibit female remating behavior, in the Mexican fruit fly Anastrepha ludens. Additionally, we tested if mating increased longevity and fecundity in desiccation resistant females. Males selected for resistance to desiccation stress had smaller accessory glands and seminal vesicles and females mating with these males stored less sperm compared to control males. Females mating with resistant males had lower fecundity compared to females mating with control males. Desiccation resistant females lived longer than control females, yet this was irrespective of mating. Rapid evolutionary responses to hydric stress can have correlated effects in reproductive capabilities, which are not restricted to pre-copulatory traits. Trade-offs between resistance to desiccation stress are reflected in decreased allocation of resources to reproductive organs. Thus, production of the ejaculate may be costly for A. ludens males. Knowledge on the evolution of ejaculate traits and reproductive organ size in response to directional selection for desiccation resistance, will aid our understanding of differential sex-specific responses to environmental stress.     

Testing the cost of reproduction with the rotifer <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brachionus</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">patulus</Emphasis> at different pH levels

In the present work, we tested the hypothesis that the cost of reproduction was evident under stressful conditions with the rotifer Brachionus patulus at different pH levels (5–10 at 1 unit intervals). We used sublethal pH levels (pH 5, 9, and 10) to simulate stressful conditions. We analyzed the correlations between age-specific fecundity (m ₁, m ₂, m ₃, …) versus future survival (l _x + 1, l _x + 2, l _x + 3, … for the entire lifespan) (survival costs) and future expectation of reproduction (\( V_{ 1}^{*} , \, V_{ 2}^{*} , \, V_{ 3}^{*} , \ldots \) for the entire lifespan) (reproductive costs), using the data obtained from life table demographic studies of B. patulus under stressful and favorable (pH 6, 7, and 8) pH levels. The results showed that significant negative correlations were observed between age-specific fecundity and future survival and future expectation of reproduction at all tested pH levels, indicating that costs of reproduction exist in the rotifer B. patulus under stressful and favorable pH conditions. However, the percentage of statistically significant negative correlations from total correlations of survival and reproductive costs differed greatly, depending on the tested pH conditions. The percentage of significant negative correlation of reproductive costs is significantly higher under stressful pH conditions (pH 5, 9, and 10) than favorable pH conditions (pH 6, 7, and 8). For survival costs, the same trends are also observed, suggesting that the costs of reproduction were more obvious under stressful pH than favorable pH.     

Trade-offs between life-history traits in a coldwater fish in the Mediterranean Sea: the case of blue whiting Micromesistius poutassou

A combination of traditional and emerging methodologies was used to assess the trade-offs between several life-history traits (linked to reproduction and condition) and parasitism in a commercially-exploited cold-water species, blue whiting Micromesistius poutassou, in the Mediterranean Sea. The use of histological and gravimetric methods revealed conflicting evidence as to the fecundity type (indeterminate or determinate) of this species. Moreover, there seem to be condition-mediated compensations between egg quality and egg quantity. The effects of parasitism on reproduction and condition are species-specific and occur mainly at high intensities of infection; they include a lower batch fecundity (affecting reproductive potential), a higher hepatosomatic index and a higher spleen-somatic index. Considering the fact that larger fish spawn more eggs and that the minimum landing size is lower than the size at maturity, these results may have implications for the future management of M. poutassou stocks in the Mediterranean Sea. Local environmental conditions may account for geographical differences regarding infection in M. poutassou. Altogether, the results support the idea that the complex trade-offs between parasitism, reproduction and condition need to be considered in order to understand the status of cold-water species such as M. poutassou.     

Population structure and distribution of deep-water cardinal fish <Emphasis Type="Italic">Epigonus occidentalis</Emphasis> (Epigonidae) and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Epigonus pandionis</Emphasis> (Epigonidae) in the Colombian Caribbean Sea

Cardinal fish are commercially valuable species. In the Colombian Caribbean Sea E. occidentalis and E. pandionis occurred in 37and 35% of tows during a research trawl survey (>200 m), respectively and the biology of these vulnerable species is unknown. The aim of this work is to describe the spatial distribution patterns of biomass, size structure and morphometric relationships of E. occidentalis and E. pandionis in deep waters of the Colombian Caribbean Sea. The samples were collected by trawling in depths between 200 and 550 m. No statistical differences were found in size by sexes in both species. In female and male E. occidentalis the growth was isometric, while in female and male E. pandionis it was positive allometric. E. occidentalis occurred mainly in the northern zone of Colombian Caribbean Sea, with highest aggregations off Santa Marta and Riohacha. E. pandionis was distributed in the northern area between Santa Marta and Riohacha and in the southern area between Cartagena and Morrosquillo Gulf. However, before the exploitation of these species is considered, further research is required to determine basic life history traits, such as growth, reproduction, recruitment, and mortality.     

Autecology of a new species of carnivorous marsupial,the endangered black-tailed dusky antechinus (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Antechinus arktos</Emphasis>), compared to a sympatric congener,the brown antechinus (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Antechinus stuartii</Emphasis>)

The carnivorous marsupial Antechinus are one of the few mammal genera known to exhibit the phenomenon of semelparous reproduction, where all males die at the end of a frenetic annual mating period. The genus Antechinus has recently been revised, seeing four new species named and one existing subspecies raised to species status. Here, we present the first ecological assessment of one new species, the endangered black-tailed dusky antechinus (Antechinus arktos), based on a 2-year mark-recapture study of two proximate sites within the cloud forest of Springbrook National Park, south-east Queensland, Australia. We also present comparative ecological data from a sympatric congener, Antechinus stuartii. In total, 103 A. arktos (49 male; 54 female) and 2125 A. stuartii (1229 male; 896 female) captures were made over 16,630 trap nights at the two sites. The occurrence and synchrony of reproductive events observed in A. arktos closely parallel the semelparous reproductive strategy exhibited by all congeners studied to date. The A. arktos populations mate during mid-September, with birth of up to six young occurring during mid-October. The low abundance and fecundity, together with a limited and apparently retracting distribution, suggest A. arktos is under threat of climate-induced extinction in the coming decades.     

Life history traits of two dwarf cichlids species in the white waters of the Amazonian floodplain

The reproductive parameters are among the most important life history aspects of fishes influenced by environmental variation. During recent years, the main life history strategies of Amazonian fish species were defined mostly by a set of reproductive parameters. In the present work, we sought to describe important life history parameters, in particular on reproductive characteristics of Apistogramma agassizii and Apistogramma bitaeniata, found in floodplain lakes of the Brazilian Amazonia. The species presented a positive sexual dimorphism, and males were significantly bigger than females. For both sexes, four developmental phase of gonad maturation were detected, and based on those it was possible to identify mature, reproductive specimens throughout the entire period of the study. From the ovaries of mature females, fecundity and spawning type were determined. Low fecundity, short spawning periods, possibly separated only by few months, and total spawning are all good indications that A. agassizii and A. bitaeniata evolved an opportunistic strategy in their life history.     

Age,growth and reproduction of the Iranian goby, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ponticola iranicus</Emphasis> (Perciformes: Gobiidae) from the southern Caspian Sea basin

To estimate reproductive biology of Ponticola iranicus Vasil’eva et al., 2015, in Sefidroud River in the southern Caspian Sea basin age, sex ratio, fecundity, oocytes diameter, gonadosomatic, modified gonadosomatic and dobriyal indices were measured. Regression analyses were used to find relations between fecundity and fish size (length and weight), gonad weight, and age. Mature females and males were longer than 46 and 49 mm in total length, +1 in age. The Von Bertalanffy growth models were L _∞ = 23.00 cm (TL), K = 0.21, t ₀ =–0.25 for all specimens. Sex ratio was 1: 1.32 in favor of males. The average egg diameter was 0.96 mm. The spawning period extended from late February to late April. The averages of absolute and relative fecundity were calculated as 536.9 and 81.3, respectively. The absolute fecundity was significantly related to the body length and weight, as well as gonad weight.     

Regulation of population numbers in the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rana arvalis</Emphasis> frog according to the results of long-term observations on the same population

An analysis of the results of long-term stationary studies (1987–1996) on a Rana arvalis population showed that the mean body length and reproductive parameters of females increased with age. Significant interannual changes in body length and egg size (but not in fecundity and reproductive effort) were also accounted for by conditions of the warm season preceding the breeding season. The dependence of egg diameter and reproductive effort on the female body length weakened with age, and only the relationship between body length and fecundity was characterized by positive allometry. The survival rate of mature females depended on the premetamorphic survival rate and, therefore, was higher in earlier generations, in which the aquatic phase proceeded under more favorable conditions. The rate of reproduction (R ₀) decreased and, therefore, further population growth slowed down only after the initial abundance of the generation had reached a relatively high level. An increase in the initial abundance of the generation exerts a strong influence on R ₀ via a decrease in the survival of premetamorphic animals and, to a lesser extent, via a decrease in the body length and fecundity of tree-and four-year-old females. Changes in the annual abundance of breeding females in R. arvalis were more abrupt and less prolonged than those in the sympatric R. temporaria population. The holding capacity of the environment for the aquatic phase of the R. arvalis life cycle was higher than that for R. temporaria. Therefore, the population abundance of R. arvalis, compared to R. temporaria, was not subject to stringent negative feedback regulation dependent on the initial number of animals.     

Divergent life history strategies in congeneric hyperparasitoids

Life histories can reveal important information on the performance of individuals within their environment and how that affects evolutionary change. Major trait changes, such as trait decay or loss, may lead to pronounced differences in life history strategies when tight correlations between traits exist. Here, we show that three congeneric hyperparasitoids (Gelis agilis, Gelis acarorum and Gelis areator) that have diverged in wing development and reproductive mode employ markedly different life history strategies. Potential fecundity of Gelis sp. varied, with the wingless G. acarorum maturing a much higher number of eggs throughout life compared with the other two species. Realized lifetime fecundity, in terms of total offspring number was, however, highest for the winged G. areator. The parthenogenic G. agilis invests its resources solely in females, whilst the sexually reproducing species both invested heavily in males to reduce competitive pressures for their female offspring. Longevity also differed between species, as did the direction of the reproduction-longevity trade-off, where reproduction is heavily traded off against longevity only in the asexual G. agilis. Resting metabolic rates also differed between the winged and wingless species, with the highest metabolic rate observed in the winged G. areator. Overall, these geline hyperparasitoids showed considerable divergence in life history strategies, both in terms of timing and investment patterns. Major trait changes observed between closely related species, such as the loss of wings and sexual reproduction, may contribute to the divergence in key life history traits.     

A phenotypic trade-off between previous growth and present fecundity in round sardinella <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sardinella aurita</Emphasis>

The decision of how to allocate surplus energy to reproduction and growth can have important effects on fish population dynamics as well as on other life history traits. The natural examples on the interrelationship between maternal growth and number of offspring produced in fishes are scarce. We tested the hypothesis that these traits are competing for resources by estimating maternal previous growth decisions, using back-calculation, and present reproduction, expressed as absolute fecundity, of female round sardinella (Sardinella aurita) in the northeastern Mediterranean Sea. Despite the overall increasing trend of fecundity with age, individual fecundity was negatively related to individual specific growth rate between the most recent annulus formation and spawning within ages. A decreasing trend between previous growth rate and present fecundity emerged, showing that round sardinella allocate increasingly less energy to growth with age and more into reproduction and that the previous growth decisions determine present fecundity.     

Complex effects of Ayurvedic formulation: <Emphasis Type="Italic">Guduchi</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Madhuyashti</Emphasis> on different components of life history may elude the elixir effect

Formulations from the traditional Indian medicine, Ayurveda, have long been considered to have potent life-style-enhancing effects, possibly by their effect(s) on key life-history attributes. Although several studies have reported beneficial effects of these formulations on different components of life history, few have investigated their concurrent influence on various life-history traits. Here, we report the results of an investigation showing the effect of two well-known Ayurvedic formulations, Guduchi and Madhuyashti, on fecundity and longevity of Drosophila melanogaster. Flies were either grown (i.e., larval exposure) and/or maintained (i.e., adult exposure) on standard food supplemented with 0.5% Guduchi or 0.5% Madhuyashti. It was observed that the longevity of adult flies of both sexes was not affected on feeding Guduchi food, but fecundity of the females was greatly enhanced. Fecundity was also found to be affected by the adult food and whether their mates were grown on Guduchi or normal food. Madhuyashti, on the other hand, significantly reduced mean longevity and had a stimulatory effect on female fecundity. This fecundity enhancing effect however seemed to be mediated through its effect on the males. Interestingly, much of these effects interacted with age in a complex way, making it difficult to generalize the overall effect of these formulations on the reproductive output of the flies. Our study underlines the importance of evaluating the interacting effects of these (and similar) formulations on a range of life-history traits in a holistic way to understand their utility better.     

Reproductive biology of Galaxias maculatus (Jenyns 1842) in the Río Ovando,a high‐latitude environment in southernmost Patagonia,Argentina

This study establishes the reproductive cycle, batch fecundity and oocyte diameter of a diadromic population of the puyen, Galaxias maculatus, in the Río Ovando, Tierra del Fuego, (54°S), at the southernmost limit of its distribution. Given the short ‘favourable season’ in relation to other populations of the species (in terms of temperature, photoperiod and food availability), the study also explores the trade‐offs between feeding and oocyte production and between phases of growth and reproduction. The reproductive cycle was analyzed by the monthly evolution of the proportion of gonadal maturity stages (determined from microscopic examination of the gonads). Oocytes were measured using a micrometric ocular scale and classified by diameter and morphological characteristics; absolute fecundity was established as the total number of hydrated oocytes per ovary. The studied population exhibits a repetitive spawning strategy, given the coexistence of post‐ovullatory follicles and hydrated oocytes in histological sections and the presence in ripe ovaries of an intermediate cohort of yolked oocytes ready for hydration. Individual fecundity is lower (1422 ± 422 oocytes/ovary) than in other puyen populations, but the egg production increases through individual repetitive spawnings during the protracted spawning period (from October to February). Females attain larger sizes than those of other South American populations (the largest female reaching 115 mm total length), maximizing its potential fecundity. The present paper contributes to the knowledge of the variability of reproductive traits of G. maculatus in relation to diadromic populations, given that the bulk of information in South America refers to landlocked populations.     

Fine scale spatio-temporal life history shifts in an invasive species at its expansion front

The dynamic shifts in life history traits by non-native populations at an invasion front may be driven by a combination of phenotypic plasticity and micro-evolutionary processes, allowing for appropriate responses to changes in biotic and abiotic factors associated with range expansion. The temporal and spatial scale at which these shifts occur, however, is largely unexplored. We examined the age-specific life-history responses of female round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) across a fine spatial scale by comparing traits of individuals at the expanding front of an invasive pathway with those of individuals living at the previous year’s front. Females in the new front were younger, exhibited higher body condition index and fecundity, and greater reproductive allocation than those living at the previous year’s front. No difference in back-calculated length at age or in seasonal growth increment was found between occupants of the old and new fronts. Age-specific differences in reproductive investment were observed; age-1 females from the new front exhibited greater reproductive effort but similar reproductive allocation, whereas age-2 females showed greater reproductive allocation in the new front, but similar reproductive effort. These age-specific differences may be related to differences in population density and other biotic factors encountered during ontogeny, or to micro-evolutionary processes. Our results demonstrate that fine scale changes in energy allocation towards reproduction through increases in reproductive allocation and fecundity occur at the invasion front, highlight how quickly those shifts can occur at the expansion front, and suggest that such changes in newly colonised areas facilitate range expansion.     

Sexual Reproduction and Seasonality of the Alaskan Red Tree Coral,Primnoa pacifica

The red tree coral Primnoa pacifica is an important habitat forming octocoral in North Pacific waters. Given the prominence of this species in shelf and upper slope areas of the Gulf of Alaska where fishing disturbance can be high, it may be able to sustain healthy populations through adaptive reproductive processes. This study was designed to test this hypothesis, examining reproductive mode, seasonality and fecundity in both undamaged and simulated damaged colonies over the course of 16 months using a deepwater-emerged population in Tracy Arm Fjord. Females within the population developed asynchronously, though males showed trends of synchronicity, with production of immature spermatocysts heightened in December/January and maturation of gametes in the fall months. Periodicity of individuals varied from a single year reproductive event to some individuals taking more than the 16 months sampled to produce viable gametes. Multiple stages of gametes occurred in polyps of the same colony during most sampling periods. Mean oocyte size ranged from 50 to 200 µm in any season, and maximum oocyte size (802 µm) suggests a lecithotrophic larva. No brooding larvae were found during this study, though unfertilized oocytes were found adhered to the outside of polyps, where they are presumably fertilized. This species demonstrated size-dependent reproduction, with gametes first forming in colonies over 42-cm length, and steady oocyte sizes being achieved after reaching 80-cm in length. The average fecundity was 86 (±12) total oocytes per polyp, and 17 (±12) potential per polyp fecundity. Sub-lethal injury by removing 21–40% of colony tissue had no significant reproductive response in males or females over the course of this study, except for a corresponding loss in overall colony fecundity. The reproductive patterns and long gamete generation times observed in this study indicate that recruitment events are likely to be highly sporadic in this species increasing its vulnerability to anthropogenic disturbances.     

Findings of new and rare fish species in the coastal zone of the Crimea (the Black Sea)

Characteristics of seven Atlantic-Mediterranean fish species are provided. Of them, four (gobies—yellow-headed Gobius xanthocephalus and red-mouthed G. cruentatus, incognito blenny Parablennius incognitus, and greater pipefish Syngnathus acus) were either first found in the Black Sea coastal zone of the Crimea, or their findings were doubted, and three species (thin-lipped grey mullet Liza ramada, European barracuda Sphyraena sphyraena, and Black Sea salmon Salmo trutta labrax) are very rare. Over the last decade, the authors recorded 15 fish species; of them, seven Atlantic-Mediterranean species have dispersed along the Crimean coasts by now, one endemic of the far eastern seas (chameleon goby Tridentiger trigonocephalus) has naturalized in Sevastopol Bay, four invading species, freshwater by origin, permanently occur in the estuary zones of the peninsula; the remaining three species are known from single findings and apparently belong to the category of accidental fish. An increase in the species composition of ichthyofauna off the Black Sea coasts of the Crimea results from the on-going process of mediterranization—the invasion in the estuary of freshwater tolerant species at the expense of accidental species that penetrated here either independently or with ballast waters.     

Size delays female senescence in a medium sized marsupial: The effects of maternal traits on annual fecundity in the northern brown bandicoot (Isoodon macrourus)

The degree to which females allocate resources between current reproduction, future fecundity and survival is a central theme in life history theory. We investigated two hypotheses proposed to explain patterns of reproductive investment, terminal investment and senescence, by examining the effects of maternal traits (age and maternal mass) on annual fecundity in female northern brown bandicoots, Isoodon macrourus (Marsupialia: Peramelidae). We found that annual fecundity in females declined in their final year of reproduction, indicating reproductive senescence. Maternal mass significantly influenced the rate of senescence and, in turn, a female's lifetime reproductive output. Mass had little effect on fecundity in 1st and 2nd year females, but a positive relationship with fecundity in 3rd year females. This meant that heavy, 3rd year females did not suffer the decline in fecundity shown in light 3rd year females. For 1st year females, mass and leg length increased between their first and second reproductive seasons, indicating a temporary shift, from the allocation of resources to reproduction, to increasing condition or structural size post their first breeding event. There were no net changes to body mass in subsequent years. We suggest that this year of post‐reproductive growth has important consequences for senescent effects on reproduction. Overall, results provided support for the effects of senescence on annual fecundity. Our findings were not consistent with the terminal investment hypothesis; reproductive output did not increase in females' final reproductive season despite a rapid decline in survival. However, this notion cannot be entirely dismissed; other measures of reproductive performance not examined here (e.g. offspring mass) may have provided an indication that females did increase their effort at the end of their lifespan. This study highlights the difficulty of measuring reproductive costs and the importance of understanding the combined effects of specific characteristics of an individual when interpreting reproductive strategies in iteroparous organisms.     

Reproductive biology of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Astyanax lacustris</Emphasis> (Characiformes: Characidae) in the southern Pantanal floodplain,upper Paraguay River basin,Brazil

We studied the reproductive biology of Astyanax lacustris in the southern Pantanal, Brazil. A total of 382 fish were analyzed from February 2009 to January 2011. The sex ratio differed significantly from 1:1, with a larger proportion of females (χ² = 27.24; p < 0.001). Females achieve higher standard length than males (mean 72.30 mm and 56.51 mm, respectively), and possess negative allometric growth while males have positive allometric growth. Size at first maturation did not differ between sexes. The greatest reproductive activity occurred during the rainy season, when temperatures were highest (November to February). Total fecundity was significantly correlated with standard length (r_s = 0.74; p = 0.01), and spawn type was total. Then, the life history traits of A. lacustris are adjusted to seasonal variation in the Southern Pantanal.     

Gametogenesis and fecundity of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Acropora tenella</Emphasis> (Brook 1892) in a mesophotic coral ecosystem in Okinawa,Japan

Mesophotic coral ecosystems (below 30–40 m depth) host a large diversity of zooxanthellate coral communities and may play an important role in the ecology and conservation of coral reefs. Investigating the reproductive biology of mesophotic corals is important to understand their life history traits. Despite an increase in research on mesophotic corals in the last decade, their reproductive biology is still poorly understood. Here, gametogenesis and fecundity of the Indo-Pacific mesophotic coral, Acropora tenella, were examined in an upper mesophotic reef (40 m depth) in Okinawa, Japan for the first time. Acropora tenella is a hermaphrodite with a single annual gametogenic cycle, and both oogenesis and spermatogenesis occurring for 11–12 and 5–6 months, respectively. Timing of spawning of this species was similar to other shallow Acropora spp. in the region. However, colonies had longer gametogenic cycles and less synchronous gamete maturation compared to shallow acroporids with spawning extended over consecutive months. Both the polyp fecundity (number of eggs per polyp) and gonad index (defined as the number of eggs per square centimeter) of A. tenella were lower than most acroporids. Our findings contribute to understanding of the life history of corals on mesophotic reefs and suggest that the reproductive biology of upper mesophotic corals is similar to that of shallow-water corals.     

Male mate choice in a sexually cannibalistic species: male escapes from hungry females in the praying mantid <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tenodera angustipennis</Emphasis>

While competing males and choosy females may be common in animal mating systems, male choice can evolve under certain conditions. Sexual cannibalism is such a condition because of the high mortality risk for males. In mantids, female body condition is associated with male mate preference, with fat females preferred, due to at least two reasons: females in poor nutritional condition are likely to attack and predate males, and fat females can potentially increase the number of offspring. Thus, the risk of cannibalism and female fecundity can influence male mating behavior. In this study, we attempted to separate these factors by using the praying mantid Tenodera angustipennis to examine whether male preference for fat female mantids was based on avoiding sexual cannibalism (cannibalism avoidance hypothesis) or preference for female fecundity (fecundity preference hypothesis). The feeding regimes were experimentally manipulated to discriminate between the effects of female fecundity and female hunger status on male and female mating behaviors. We found that recently starved females more frequently locomoted toward the male, and that male abdominal bending was less intensive and escape was sooner from recently starved females. These female and male behavioral responses to female hunger condition may reveal male avoidance of dangerous females in this mantid.