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This document discusses reproductive strategies in fish. It describes differences in reproductive anatomy between male and female fish, with males comprising 12% of body weight on average and females 30-70%. It also describes various forms of sexual dimorphism seen in fish, such as size, coloration, and structural modifications. The document then outlines different breeding behaviors and reproductive groupings in fish, including nonguarders that do not protect offspring after spawning, and guarders that protect or tend to eggs/young in various ways such as building nests. Reproductive groupings also include bearers that carry embryos externally or internally.

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Orange Lemon
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29 views

Reproduction

This document discusses reproductive strategies in fish. It describes differences in reproductive anatomy between male and female fish, with males comprising 12% of body weight on average and females 30-70%. It also describes various forms of sexual dimorphism seen in fish, such as size, coloration, and structural modifications. The document then outlines different breeding behaviors and reproductive groupings in fish, including nonguarders that do not protect offspring after spawning, and guarders that protect or tend to eggs/young in various ways such as building nests. Reproductive groupings also include bearers that carry embryos externally or internally.

Uploaded by

Orange Lemon
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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REPRODUCTION

Reproductive anatomy

• Reproductive strategies
– Anatomical differences
• In males – 12% of the weight of fish
• In females – 30 – 70% of the weight of fish
• Hermaphrodite – ovotestes (part ovary, part testes)
Sexual dimorphism
• Size
– In territorial fishes, males are larger than females (as
in salmon, tilapia)
– In most fishes with sexual differences, females are
larger than males (striped bass, sturgeon fish)
• Sexual dichromatism – bright colors (males)
• Structural modifications
– Hooked mouths (kypes) and humps in salmon
– Breeding tubercles and contact organs
– Longer dorsal fins among males (snakeskined
gourami)
Breeding behavior
• Fascinating array of reproductive behavior
patterns
• Correlated with the overall ecology of each
species and with its morphological
adaptations (ecomorphological system)
Reproductive groupings
• Nonguarders –fishes that do not protect
their eggs and young once spawning has
been completed
– Open substrate spawners
• Pelagic spawners (tuna – Scombridae)
• Benthic spawners (common carp – Cyprinidae)
– Brood hiders
• Benthic spawners (salmon)
• Spawners on invertebrates (bitterling –Cyprinidae)
Reproductive groupings
• Guarders
– Substratum choosers
• Rock tenders (gobies)
• Plant tenders (characins)
• Terrestial tenders
• Pelagic tenders (anabantids, channidae)
– Nest spawners – construct some sort of structure
• Rock and gravel nesters (sunfishes)
• Sand nesters (sticklebacks)
• Plant material nesters (gouramis)
• Other material nesters (hole nesters, anemone)
Reproductive groupings
• Bearers- carry embryos around with them
(externally or internally)
– External bearers
• Transfer brooders (medaka)
• Auxiliary brooders (South American catfish)
• Mouth brooders (cichlids)
• Gill chamber brooders (North American cavefishes)
• Pouch brooders ((seahorse, marsupium)
– Internal bearers
• Facultative internal bearers (killifishes)
• Obligate internal bearers (livebearers)
• Embryonic cannibal bearers (sharks)
• Livebearers (Viviparous fishes)

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