Abstract
Determining the patterns and causes of variation in reproductive success is key to understanding mating systems and sexual selection, but they are challenging to study in cryptobenthic coral reef fishes. Here, we investigate characteristics of breeding habitat, the genetic mating system, and correlates of male mating success in the neon goby Elacatinus lori. This fish is primarily found living and breeding within the yellow tube sponge Aplysina fistularis in Belize — it has become a focus of marine population ecology research, but knowledge of its behavioral ecology is lacking. First, we show that sponges occupied by breeding males tend to be larger than those occupied by residents. Second, we show that E. lori males exhibit a polygynous mating system: some males breed with multiple females simultaneously and/or sequentially. Third, we show that male size is positively related to multiple metrics of male mating success: number of days paired with females, number of clutches laid, and total reproductive output. Male size, however, explains only a small proportion of the variation in male mating success, suggesting that other aspects of the males’ phenotype and ecological context need to be quantified to better explain variation in mating success. More generally, our results suggest that when female movements are restricted, it is necessary to measure habitat characteristics and male traits at smaller spatial scales to gain a deeper understanding of their effects on mating systems and sexual selection.
Significance statement
Measuring male reproductive success in a wild population is notoriously difficult, particularly in cryptobenthic coral reef fishes. Often, mating success is used as a proxy for reproductive success because it is easier to measure. Variation in mating success is often predicted by characteristics of the individual and its breeding habitat. Here, we simultaneously describe the (i) breeding habitat, (ii) genetic mating system, and (iii) relationship between male traits, habitat characteristics, and mating success in the neon goby Elacatinus lori. By investigating these three elements together, we provide solid foundations for understanding this species’ mating system. More generally, we suggest that investigations of variation in mating success may be improved by approaching analyses at smaller, more biologically relevant, spatial scales. Our findings highlight the challenges and opportunities of investigating mating systems of cryptobenthic coral reef fishes in the wild.
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Data availability
The datasets generated and analyzed during the current study are available in a GitHub repository, https://github.com/robinkellyfrancis/GobyMatingSuccess.
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Acknowledgements
We thank Diana Acosta, Derek Scolaro, Alissa Rickborn, E Schlatter, and Romain Chaput for assistance with field work; Alben David, Kevin David, and Earl David for captaining our boats; and the staff at International Zoological Expeditions. This manuscript forms part of RKF’s doctoral dissertation requirements at Boston University. RKF would like to thank the members of her committee, Dr. Robert Warner and Dr. Sarah Davies, for comments on earlier versions of the manuscript. We also thank two anonymous reviewers, for editing and improving this manuscript.
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Our research was funded by the National Science Foundation and the Trustees of Boston University (grant numbers: OCE-1260424; OCE-1459546). Additional funding was provided by a Graduate Research Abroad Fellowship and the Warren McLeod Annual Fellowship awarded to RKF by the Biology Department and the Marine Program of Boston University.
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RKF, KAC, JEM, CCD, and PMB collected field data. RKF, CCD, and SB conducted laboratory work. RKF, CCD, SB, TR, and PMB were involved with analyses. All authors were involved with writing and approved the final manuscript.
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All applicable international, national, and/or institutional guidelines to conduct our study were followed. Approval for the use of animals in our study was permitted by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee at Boston University. Approval for field work was permitted by the Belize Fisheries Department.
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Francis, R.K., Catalano, K.A., Majoris, J.E. et al. Characteristics of breeding habitat, genetic mating system, and determinants of male mating success in the sponge-dwelling goby Elacatinus lori. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 76, 157 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-022-03263-w
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-022-03263-w