Reproductive behavior and spawning success of female Amblyglyphidodon leucogaster (Pisces: Pomacentridae) from the Red Sea

Abstract

The reproductive behavior of female whitebelly damselfish, Amblyglyphidodon leucogaster, was investigated in the Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea over two breeding seasons. Females were promiscuous, mating with 7–10 different males throughout the season. Females lay eggs in distinct batches, defined as the total number of eggs laid in a day. Generally females deposit a batch of eggs with one male (87.2%) and are capable of laying a new batch every other day. Egg batch size averaged 4009 eggs and females laid from 2 to 22 egg batches per season. The variation in spawning success was not correlated to body size. Females preferred to deposit eggs in nests that already contained early stage eggs (0–2 days old). Within a nest, females chose to lay eggs contiguous to the youngest egg batch, regardless if the nest contained either a single batch or multiple batches of different ages. Female within-nest spawning patterns appear to be a consequence of between nest preferences for nests with young eggs. It is proposed that the strong within-nest preference is a consequence of mate selection where females may use new egg batches as a visual cue as part of a copying style. Such a style may reduce the risk of predation and increase feeding opportunities, because less time is expended in mate selection, which would provide additional resources for egg production and ultimately increase female spawning success over the breeding season.