Synopsis
We describe the short-term patterns of egg production and release in the lemon tetra, Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis (Characidae) as observed over a six month aquarium study and then use our results and those of others to both describe general patterns and derive comparative predictions. Female lemon tetras ovulated about once every four days; differences among individuals were small and inconsistent. As in other species, the probability of ovulation depended strongly on time since last ovulation, indicative of an ovarian cycle; furthermore we found no obvious long-term patterns of ovulation within females and batch fecundity was independent of the length of the two previous interovulation intervals and of the one following. Each batch of ovulated eggs was released over an average of 23.1 spawning acts, beginning as soon as the lights went on in the morning. The number of spawning acts increased with ovulation fecundity but decreased with the number of other females spawning in the tank on that day. The mass of eggs produced every four days was greater than that of the remaining ovary, and the mass of eggs that could be produced in a season was greater than that of the female. This latter observation highlights the most important consequence of repeated reproduction within a season - increased reproductive output - and leads to predictions associating it with less seasonal environments (e.g. low latitudes), as well as with small ovaries and small body size. The significance of releasing a batch of eggs over many spawning acts remains unknown.
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Burt, A., Kramer, D.L., Nakatsuru, K. et al. The tempo of reproduction in Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis(Characidae), with a discussion on the biology of ‘multiple spawning’ in fishes. Environ Biol Fish 22, 15–27 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00000541
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00000541