Mating system and kin relationship between adults and young in the shell-brooding cichlid fish <Emphasis Type="Italic">Neolamprologus meeli</Emphasis> in Lake Tanganyika |
| |
Authors: | Email author" target="_blank">Tomoki?SunobeEmail author Hiroyuki?Munehara |
| |
Institution: | (1) , Natural History Museum and Institute Chiba, 955-2 Aoba-cho, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8682, Japan,;(2) Usujiri Fisheries Laboratory, Hokkaido University, Hokkaido, Japan, |
| |
Abstract: | Mating system and parental behavior of ten monogamous pairs and two polygynous groups of the Tanganyikan cichlid Neolamprologus meeli were observed in their natural habitat. The home ranges of males and females overlapped with each other. Most groups included
one to six young. Paternal and maternal relationships were determined for 22 young from DNA microsatellite markers. Three
types of kinship were found: (I) kinship to both the male and female; (II) kinship to females only; and (III) non-kinship
to both sexes. In the groups with type II young, step-fathering or sneaking may have occurred. Type III young were larger
than type I, suggesting that the former were of sufficient size to leave their birth nest and settle in the territories of
foster parents. Both males and females drove out potential predators of young (including three species of Lepidiolamprologus) as a parental behavior. Adults with type III young attacked approaching predators with as much frequency as those with type I
young only, indicating that they provided alloparental care. Adults and young swam together, but, a significant difference
existed in the frequencies of interactions between adults versus kin young and adults versus non-kin young. The results suggest
that both adults and young recognized kin.
Electronic Publication |
| |
Keywords: | Mating system Parental care Alloparental care Kin relationship Cichlidae Neolamprologus meeli Lake Tanganyika |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|