The Relationship Between the Presence of Satellite Males and Nest-Holders' Mating Success in the Azorean Rock-Pool Blenny Parablennius sanguinolentus parvicornis

In the Azorean rock-pool blenny, sexually active males may adopt alternative reproductive tactics. In the present paper the relationship between the presence of satellite males and the reproductive success of nest-holders was investigated by comparing nests with and without an associated satellite male. Males with an associated satellite male suffered more conspecific intrusions but they did not display a higher frequency of attacks towards conspecifics. Nest-holder males were more aggressive towards other conspecifics than towards satellites and the tolerance of nest-holders towards satellites was inversely correlated with the time spent by the satellites in the breeding territory, which suggests control by the nest-holder male of the satellite investment in shared territorial defence. Nest-holders with an associated satellite male had higher condition factors and received more female visits and more spawnings. These results bear two possible interpretations. (1) Nest-holders benefit from the presence of a satellite male by increased attractiveness of their nests to females; satellite males are mutualists helping to defend the nest-owner's territory and to attract females, which is why they are tolerated. (2) Satellite males associate preferentially with more successful nest-holder males which have higher condition factors, and by doing so have more opportunities to achieve parasitic fertilizations. Only experiments will allow these two hypotheses to be distinguished.