Skip to main content
Log in

Colonial Nesting and the Importance of the Brood Size in Male Parasitic Reproduction of the Mediterranean Damselfish Chromis chromis (Pisces: Pomacentridae)

  • Published:
Environmental Biology of Fishes Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We investigated male parasitic spawning in a protected natural population of Mediterranean damselfish. Chromis chromis nested in colonies, inside which males showed a high variability in mating success. Our field observations indicate that the egg batches obtained by the most successful fish were five times bigger than the ones obtained by the less successful fish and many males never received ovipositions. On the other hand, reproductive parasitism was a common tactic within the colony. Successful nesting males sneaked into their neighbours' nests depending on the amount of eggs in their nest, with small clutch size inducing the males to parasitic reproduction. Males failing to receive egg depositions on their nests showed a significantly higher parasitism rate than successful males. Non-territorial males occupied stations in the water column above the breeding grounds and whenever the opportunity arose, they disrupted spawning in progress, stealing copulation with females. We observed that the likelihood of males being parasitized by sneakers was not correlated with the size of their own clutch; on the contrary, it depended both on the number of neighbouring nests and on the number of neighbouring males with barren nests (i.e. unsuccessful males). No correlation was found between parasitic behaviour and male size, suggesting males may switch between spawning in their own and in their neighbour's nests depending on mating opportunity. The hypothesis that colonial nesting facilitates parasitic reproduction is here discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abel, E.F. 1961. Freiwasserstudien über das Fortpflanzungsverhalten des Monchfishes Chromis chromis, einem Vertreter der Pomacentriden im Mittelmeer. Z. Tierpsychol. 18: 441-449.

    Google Scholar 

  • Abrahams, M.V. 1993. The trade-off between foraging and courting in male guppies. Anim. Behav. 45: 673-681.

    Google Scholar 

  • Albrecht, H. 1969. Behaviour of four species of atlantic damselfish from Columbia, South America. Z. Tierpsychol. 26: 662-676.

    Google Scholar 

  • Allen, G.R. 1991. Damselfish of theWorld, Mergus Press, Melle, Germany. 271 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barnett, C.W. & N.W. Pankhurst. 1996. Effect of density on the reproductive behaviour of the territorial male demoiselle Chromis dispilus (Pisces: Pomacentridae). Env. Biol. Fish. 46: 343-349.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bass, A.H. 1993. From brains to behaviour-hormonal cascades and alternative mating tactics in teleost fishes. Rev. Fish. Biol. Fish. 3: 181-186.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ciriaco, S., M. Costantini, C. Italiano, R. Odorico, M. Picciulin, L. Verginella & M. Spoto. 1998. Monitoring the Miramare Marine Reserve: Assessment of protection efficiency. Ital. J. Zool. 65: 383-386.

    Google Scholar 

  • De Boer, B.A. 1981. Influence of population density on the territorial, courting and spawning behaviour of male Chromis cyanea (Pomacentridae). Behaviour 77: 99-120.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dominey,W.J. 1981. Maintenance of female mimicry as a reproductive strategy in the bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus). Env. Biol. Fish. 6: 59-64.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dugatkin, L.A. & J-G.J. Godin. 1993. Female mate copying in the guppy (Poecilia reticulata): Age-dependent effect. Behav. Ecol. 4:289-292.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dugatkin, L.A. & G.J. Fitzgerald. 1997. Sexual selection. pp. 266-291. In: Godin J.J. (ed.) Behavioural Ecology of Teleost Fishes, Oxford University Press, Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Forsgren, E., A. Karlsson & C. Kvarnemo. 1996. Females sand gobies gain direct benefits by choosing males with eggs in their nests. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 39: 91-96.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldschmidt, T., S.A. Foster & P. Sevenster. 1992. Inter-nest distance and sneaking in the three-spined stickleback. Anim. Behav. 44: 793-795.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goulet, D. 1998. Spawning success in the damselfish Amblyglyphidodon leucogaster: The influence of eggs in the nest. Anim. Behav. 55: 651-664.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gronell, A.M. 1989. Visiting behaviour by females of the sexually dichromatic damselfish, Chrysiptera cyanea (Teleostei: Pomacentridae): A probable method of assessing male quality. Ethology 81: 89-122.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gross, M.R. 1996. Alternative reproductive strategies and tactics: Diversity within sexes. Trends Ecol. Evol. 11: 92-98.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gross, M.R. & A.M. MacMillan. 1981. Predation and the evolution of colonial nesting in bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus). Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 8: 163-174.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guldenschuh, G. 1986. Das Fortpflanzungsverhalten von Chromis chromis (L.), dem Mittelmeer-Monchsfish (Pisces: Pomacentridae). Ph.D. Thesis, University of Basel, Switzerland.

    Google Scholar 

  • Henson, A.S. & R.R. Warner. 1997. Male and female alternative reproductive behaviours in fishes: A new approach using intersexual dynamics. Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 28: 571-592.

    Google Scholar 

  • Henson, A.S. & R.R. Warner. 1999. A trade-off generated by sexual conflict: Mediterranean wrasse males refuse present mates to increase future success. Behav. Ecol. 10: 105-111.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jamieson, I.G. & P.W. Colgan. 1992. Sneak spawning and eggs stealing by male three-spine sticklebacks. Can. J. Zool. 70: 963-967.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jamieson, I.G. 1995. Do female fish prefer to spawn in nests with eggs for reasons of mate choice copying or eggs survival? Am. Nat. 145: 824-832.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kanoh, Y. 2000. Reproductive success associated with territoriality, sneaking, and grouping in male rose bitterlings, Rhodeus ocellatus (Pisces: Cyprinidae). Env. Biol. Fish. 57: 143-154.

    Google Scholar 

  • Karino, K. & A. Nakazono. 1993. Reproductive behaviour of territorial herbivore Stegastes nigricans (Pisces: Pomacentridae) in relation to colony formation. J. Ethol. 11: 99-110.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knapp, R.A. & J.T. Kovach. 1991. Courtship as an honest indicator of male parental quality in the bicolor damselfish, Stegastes partitus. Behav. Ecol. 2: 95-300.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kodric-Brown, A. 1986. Satellite and sneakers: opportunistic male breeding tactics in pupfish (Cyprinodon pecosensis). Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 19: 425-432.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kvarnemo, C., E. Forsgren & C. Magnhagen. 1995. Effects of sex ratio on intra-and inter-sexual behaviour in sand gobies. Anim. Behav. 50: 1455-1461.

    Google Scholar 

  • Magnhagen, C. & L. Kvarnemo. 1989. Big is better: the importance of size for reproductive success in male Pomatoschistus minutus (Pallas) (Pisces, Gobiidae). J. Fish. Biol. 35: 755-763.

    Google Scholar 

  • Magnhagen, C. 1995. Sneaking behaviour and nest defence are affected by predation risk in the common goby. Anim. Behav. 50: 1123-1128.

    Google Scholar 

  • Magnhagen, C. 1998. Alternative reproductive tactics and courtship in the common goby. J. Fish. Biol. 53: 130-137.

    Google Scholar 

  • Picciulin, M., M. Costantini, A.D. Hawkins & E.A. Ferrero. 2001. Sound emission of the Mediterranean Damselfish Chromis chromis (Pomacentridae). Bioacoustics 12: 236-237.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rangeley, R.W. & G.J. Godin. 1992. The effects of a trade-off between foraging and brood defence on parental behaviour in the convict cichlid fish, Cichlasoma nigrofasciatum. Behaviour 120: 123-138.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taborsky, M., B. Hudde & P.Wirtz. 1987. Reproductive behaviour and ecology of Symphodus (Crenilabrus) ocellatus, a European wrasse with four types of male behaviour. Behaviour 102: 82-118.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taborsky, M. 1994. Sneakers, satellite and helpers: Parasitic and cooperative behaviour in fish reproduction. Adv. Study Behav. 23: 1-100.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taborsky, M. 1997. Bourgeois and parasitic tactics: Do we need collective, functional terms for alternative reproductive behaviours? Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 41: 361-362.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taborsky, M. 1998. Sperm competition in fish: ‘Bourgeois’ males and parasitic spawning. Trends Ecol. Evol. 13: 222-227.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taborsky, M. 2001. The evolution of parasitic and cooperative reproductive behaviors in fishes. J. Hered. 92: 100-110.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tyler,W.A. 1989. Optimal colony size in the Hawaiian Sergeant, Abudefduf abdominalis (Pisces: Pomacentridae). Pacific Sci. 43: 204.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tyler, W.A. 1995. The adaptive significance of colonial nesting in a coral-reef fish. Anim. Behav. 49: 949-966.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van den Berghe, E.P., F.Werneurus & R.R.Warner. 1989. Female choice and the mating cost of peripheral males. Anim. Behav. 38: 875-886.

    Google Scholar 

  • Verginella, L., M. Spoto, S. Ciriaco & E.A. Ferrero. 1999. Reproductive ethogram of the Mediterranean damselfish Chromis chromis L. (Pisces: Pomacentridae) territorial male. Boll. Soc. Adriatica 78: 437-454.

    Google Scholar 

  • Verginella, L., M. Spoto & E.A. Ferrero. 2000. Spawning behaviour sequence analysis of the Mediterranean damselfish Chromis chromis (Pomacentridae) in the field. Z. Fischkd. 5: 3-10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Warner, R.R., D.Y. Shapiro, A. Marconato & C.W. Petersen. 1995. Sexual conflict: Males with highest mating success convey the lowest fertilization benefits to females. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B 262: 135-139.

    Google Scholar 

  • Willmott, H.E. & S.A. Foster. 1995. The effects of rival male interaction on courtship and parental care in the fourspine stickleback, Apeltes quadracus. Behaviour 132: 998-1010.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Picciulin, M., Verginella, L., Spoto, M. et al. Colonial Nesting and the Importance of the Brood Size in Male Parasitic Reproduction of the Mediterranean Damselfish Chromis chromis (Pisces: Pomacentridae). Environmental Biology of Fishes 70, 23–30 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:EBFI.0000022851.49302.df

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:EBFI.0000022851.49302.df

Navigation