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Trophic eggs and parental foraging for young by the catfish Bagrus meridionalis of Lake Malawi, Africa

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Summary

Parental bagrid catfish in Lake Malawi, Africa, appear to feed their young in a manner analogous to birds and social insects. The female produces eggs which are released and consumed by the catfish young. Indirect evidence suggests that the male leaves the nest to forage and returns with benthic invertebrates in its mouth that are fed to the brood. Such behavior is hypothesized to enhance the growth rate of the young and to reduce their susceptibility to predation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Environmental and Estuarine Studies, Appalachian Environmental Laboratory, University of Maryland, 21532, Frostburg, MD, USA

    Kenneth R. McKaye

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  1. Kenneth R. McKaye
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McKaye, K.R. Trophic eggs and parental foraging for young by the catfish Bagrus meridionalis of Lake Malawi, Africa. Oecologia 69, 367–369 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00377058

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00377058

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