Synopsis
We studied the reproductive behavior of wild caught and captive-born, first generation offspring of the Lake Malawi fish, Tramitichromis intermedius(Teleostei, Cichlidae), held in aquaria. Spawning behavior includes an exchange of actions with dominant males performing bower construction and courtship behaviors while females focus on oviposition and mouthbrooding. Egg counts per oviposition and brooding and interbrooding periods of wild caught T. intermedius follow records of other mouthbrooding cichlid fishes. Observation of circling behavior suggests this behavioral trait may be used in mate choice as longer circling, indicating a secure territory and thus male dominance, leads to more oviposition events and hence the potential for larger broods. Comparisons of clutch size and total length of young at release from full-sized females vs. first spawners reveal smaller clutches and young from the younger females, most likely stemming from differences in body size. Investigation of spawning photoperiodicity also noted distinctions between the two groups with wild caught T. intermedius spawning activity peaking in the middle of the light cycle and captive-born, first spawners exhibiting no significant peak in activity. The trend to spawn midday is most likely influenced by predation factors, while the lack of a spawning periodicity in the offspring may be explained by developmental processes, the absence of environmental cues or the tendency for smaller males to be opportunistic in spawning events. The details of spawning behavior recorded in this study provide a database to investigate species differences and to indicate changes due to chemical and physical disturbances.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
G.P. Baerends (1984) ArticleTitleThe organization of the pre-spawning behaviour in the cichlid fish Aequidens portalegrensis (Hensel) Neth. J. Zool. 34 233–366
G.P. Baerends J.M. Baerends-Van Roon (1950) ArticleTitleAn introduction to the study of the ethology of cichlid fishes Behav. Suppl. 1 1–242
G.W. Barlow (2000) The cichlid fishes: nature’s grand experiment in evolution Perseus Publishing Cambridge, Massachusetts 333
G.W. Barlow (2002) ArticleTitleHow behavioral studies contribute to the species problem: a piscine perspective Fish Fisheries 3 197–212
J.F. Baroiller D. Desprez Y. Carteret P. Tacon F. Borel M.C. Hoareau C. Mèlard B. Jalabert (1997) Influence of environmental and social factors on the reproductive efficiency in three tilapia species, Oreochromis niloticus, O. aureus, and the red tilapia (red Florida strain) K. Fitzsimmons (Eds) Proceedings of the Fourth International Symposium on Tilapia in Aquaculture Orlando Florida 238–252
R. Billard B. Breton (1978) Rhythms of reproduction in teleost fish J.E. Thorpe (Eds) Rhythmic Activity of Fishes Academic Press London 31–54
Q. Bone N.B. Marshall J.H.S. Baxter (1995) Biology of Fishes Chapman & Hall London 341
D.E. Boruchowitz (1997) The Guide to Owning Malawi Cichlids T.F.H. Publications Neptune City, New Jersey 64
D.H. Brown J.A. Marshall (1978) ArticleTitleReproductive behavior of the rainbow cichlid, Herotilapia multispinosa (Pisces, Cichlidae) Behaviour 68 299–322
R.M. Coleman (1991) ArticleTitleMeasuring parental investment in nonspherical eggs Copeia 1991 1092–1098
R.M. Coleman A.P. Galvani (1998) ArticleTitleEgg size determines offspring size in Neotropical cichlid fishes (Teleostei: Cichlidae) Copeia 1998 209–213
K. Coward N.R. Bromage (1999) ArticleTitleSpawning periodicity, fecundity and egg size in laboratory-held stocks of a substrate-spawning tilapiine, Tilapia zillii (Gervais) Aquaculture 171 251–267
J.Y. Gautier M.A. Richard-Yris B. Le Faucheux M. Foraste (1996) Plasticity in the parental cycle of Oreochromis niloticus R.S.V. Pullin J. Lazard M. Legendre J.B. Amon Kothlas D. Pauly (Eds) Proceeding of the Third International Symposium on Tilapia in Aquaculture Abidjan Côte d’Ivoire 308–313
Gibson R.N. (1978). Lunar and tidal rhythms in fish. pp. 201–214. In: Thorpe J.E. (ed.) Rhythmic Activity of Fishes, Academic Press, London. Gibson, R.N., Blaxter J.H.S., S.J. de Groot. (1978). Developmental changes in the activity rhythms of the plaice (Pleuronectes platessa, L.). pp. 169–186. In: Thorpe J.E. (ed.) Rhythmic Activity of Fishes, Academic Press, London
E. Hert (1989) ArticleTitleThe function of egg-sports in an African mouth-brooding cichlid fish Animal Behav. 37 726–732
M.H.A. Keenleyside (1991) Parental care M.H.A. Keenleyside (Eds) Cichlid Fishes: Behaviour, Ecology and Evolution Chapman & Hall London 191–208
K.A. Kellogg J.R. Stauffer SuffixJr. K.R. McKaye (2000) ArticleTitleCharacteristics that influence male reproductive success on a lek of Lethrinops c.f. parvidens (Teleostei: Cichlidae) Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 47 164–170
A. Konings (1990) Cichlids and all the Other Fishes of Lake Malawi T.F.H. Publications Neptune City, New Jersey 495
P.S. Lobel (1998) ArticleTitlePossible species specific courtship sounds by two sympatric cichlid fishes in Lake Malawi, Africa Environ. Biol. Fishes 52 443–452
R.H. Lowe (McConnell) (1956) ArticleTitleThe breeding behaviour of Tilapia species (Pisces: Cichlidae) in natural waters: observations on T. karomo Poll and T. variabilis Boulenger Behaviour 9 140–163
B.P. Manteifel I.I. Girsa D.S. Pavlov (1978) On rhythms of fish behaviour J.E. Thorpe (Eds) Rhythmic Activity of Fishes Academic Press London 215–224
J.A. Marshall (1967) ArticleTitleEffect of artificial photoperiodicity on the time of spawning in Trichopsis vittatus and T. pumilus (Pisces, Belontiidae) Animal Behav. 15 510–513
J.A. Marshall P.E. Bielic (1996) ArticleTitlePeriodicity of reproductive behaviour by the blue tilapia, Oreochromis aureus Environ. Biol. Fishes 47 411–414
D.M. McElroy I. Kornfield (1990) ArticleTitleSexual selection, reproductive behavior, and speciation in the mbuna species flock of Lake Malawi (Pisces: Cichlidae) Environ. Biol. Fishes 28 273–284
K.R. McKaye (1983) ArticleTitleEcology and breeding behavior of a cichlid fish, Cyrtocara eucinostomus, on a large lek in Lake Malawi, Africa Environ. Biol. Fishes 8 81–96
K.R. McKaye (1984) Behavioural aspects of cichlid reproductive strategies: patterns of territoriality and brood defense in Central American substratum spawners versus African mouth brooders R.J. Wootton C.W. Potts (Eds) Fish Reproduction: Strategies and Tactics Academic Press London 245–273
K.R. McKaye J.R. Stauffer SuffixJr. G.F. Turner A. Konings T. Sato (2001) ArticleTitleFishes, as well as birds, build bowers J. Aquaric. Aquat. Sci. 9 121–133
K. Muller (1978) Locomotor activity of fish and environmental oscillations J.E. Thorpe (Eds) Rhythmic Activity of Fishes Academic Press London 1–21
M.H.J. Nelissen (1976) ArticleTitleContribution to the ethology of Tropheus moorii Boulenger (Pisces, Cichlidae) and a discussion of the significance of its colour patterns Rev. Zool. Bont. Afr. 90 17–29
M.H.J. Nelissen (1977) ArticleTitleContribution to the ethology of Simochromis babaulti Pellegrin (Pisces, Cichlidae) Ann. Soc. Zool. Belgium 106 167–175
J.L. Ripley P.S. Lobel (2004) ArticleTitleCorrelation of acoustic and visual signals in the cichlid fish, Tramitichromis intermedius Environ. Biol. Fishes 71 389–394
H.I. Russock (1986) ArticleTitlePreferential behaviour of Sarotherodon (Oreochromis) mossambicus (Pisces: Cichlidae) fry to maternal models and its relevance to the concept of imprinting Behaviour 96 304–321
H.I. Russock M.W. Schein (1977) ArticleTitleEffect of age and experience on the filial behaviour of Tilapia mossambica fry (Pisces: Cichlidae) Behaviour 61 276–303
H.I. Russock M.W. Schein (1978) ArticleTitleEffect of socialization on adult social preferences in Tilapia mossambica (Sarotherodon mossambicus); Pisces: Cichlidae Animal Behav. 26 148–159
E. Schwanck (1987) ArticleTitleLunar periodicity in the spawning of Tilapia mariae in the Ethiop River, Nigeria J. Fish Biol. 30 533–537
H.O. Schwassmann (1971) Biological rhythms W.S. Hoar D.J. Randall (Eds) Fish Physiology, Vol. 6: Environmental Relations and Behavior Academic Press New York 371–428
C.C. Smith S.D. Fretwell (1974) ArticleTitleThe optimal balance between size and number of offspring Am. Nat. 108 499–506
J.R. Stauffer SuffixJr. K.R. McKaye (2001) ArticleTitleThe naming of cichlids J. Aquaric. Aquat. Sci. 9 1–16
J.R. Stauffer SuffixJr. K.R. McKaye A.F. Konings (2002) ArticleTitleBehaviour: an important diagnostic tool for Lake Malawi cichlids Fish Fisheries 3 213–224
P. Tacon P. Nidiaye C. Cauty F. Le Menn B. Jalabert (1996) ArticleTitleRelationships between them expression of maternal behaviour and ovarian development in the mouthbrooding cichlid fish Oreochromis niloticus Aquaculture 146 261–275
M. Taylor (1984) ArticleTitleLunar synchronization of fish reproduction Trans. Am. Fish. Soc. 113 484–493
M.H. Taylor E.P. Villoso (1994) ArticleTitleDaily ovarian and spawning cycles in weakfish Trans. Am. Fish. Soc. 123 9–14
G.F. Turner (1997) ArticleTitleSmall fry go big time New Sci. 155 36–39
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ripley, J.L., Lobel, P.S. Reproductive behavior of the Lake Malawi cichlid fish, Tramitichromis intermedius. Environ Biol Fish 73, 171–180 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-004-5567-5
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-004-5567-5