Non-copulatory spawning and female participation during early egg care in a marine sculpinHemilepidotus gilberti |
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Authors: | Youichi Hayakawa Hiroyuki Munehara |
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Institution: | (1) Research Institute of North Pacific Fisheries, Faculty of Fisheries, Hokkaido University, 3-1-1 Minato-cho, 041 Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan;(2) Usujiri Fisheries Laboratory, Hokkaido University, Minami-kayabe, 041-16 Hokkaido, Japan |
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Abstract: | The reproductive behavior of a marine sculpin,Hemilepidotus gilberti, was observed in the aquarium. The behavioral sequence comprised fight for terriotory, courtship and fight for females, spawning
and caring for the egg mass. Females very slowly deposited eggs enclosed with viscous ovarian fluid onto the substrate. Almost
all the eggs contained in the ovary were released in a single spawning, its completion requiring 21–22 min. Territorial males
emitted of spawning. Sneaking by neighboring males followed subsequently. This was the first observation of non-copulatory
spawning among marine sculpins. Females cared for the eggs for severl days after spawning, and then male alone care continued
until hatching (47–49 days after spawning). Participation by females in egg caring is likely to be caused by their spawning
only once during the spawning season and the consequent lack of urgency for post-spawning feeding. |
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Keywords: | Non-copuration spawning marine sculpin parental care sneaking |
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