Group spawning results from the streaking of small males into a sneaking pair: male alternative reproductive tactics in the threespot wrasse Halichoeres trimaculatus |
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Authors: | Shohei Suzuki Kyoko Toguchi Yoshimi Makino Tetsuo Kuwamura Yasuhiro Nakashima Kenji Karino |
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Institution: | 1. Sesoko Station, Tropical Biosphere Research Center, The University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan 7. Department of Biology and Geosciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, 3-3-138 Sugimoto, Sumiyoshi, Osaka, 558-8585, Japan 2. Department of Environmental Sciences, Ibaraki University, Ibaraki, Japan 3. Department of Biology and Geosciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan 4. Biological Laboratory, Faculty of Liberal Arts, Chukyo University, Nagoya, Japan 5. College of Economics, Nihon University, Tokyo, Japan 6. Department of Biology, Tokyo Gakugei University, Tokyo, Japan
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Abstract: | In many protogynous wrasses, large males with bright coloration (terminal phase males, TP males) establish mating territories
and pair-spawn with females. In contrast, small primary males with drab coloration (initial phase males, IP males) are non-territorial
and adopt three alternative reproductive tactics—group spawning, streaking, and sneaking. We investigated how IP males of
the threespot wrasse Halichoeres trimaculatus use these tactics in different situations. The mating frequency of the IP males was positively correlated with their courtship
frequency, but not with their body size. Larger IP males tended to attack the smaller ones at the mating sites. This indicates
that the larger IP males attempted to exclude the smaller ones from mating with the intention of minimizing the number of
IP males involved in group spawning and ultimately leading to pair spawning (sneaking). However, the larger IP males were
unable to completely exclude the smaller males because the intensity of the attack by the larger IP males was weak. Consequently,
the smaller IP males could easily streak into the sneaking of larger IP males, thereby resulting in group spawning. |
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Keywords: | Alternative reproductive tactics Initial phase male Protogyny Halichoeres trimaculatus Wrasse |
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