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Title
Alternative reproductive tactics and inverse size-assortment in a high-density fish spawning aggregation
Author(s)
Karkarey, Rucha ;Zambre, Amod ;Isvaran, Kavita ;Arthur, Rohan
Published
2017
Publisher
BMC Ecology
Published Version DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12898-017-0120-5
Abstract
Background At high densities, terrestrial and marine species often employ alternate reproductive tactics (ARTs) to maximize reproductive benefits. We describe ARTs in a high-density and unfished spawning aggregation of the squaretail grouper (Plectropomus areolatus) in Lakshadweep, India. Results As previously reported for this species, territorial males engage in pair-courtship, which is associated with a pair-spawning tactic. Here, we document a previously unreported school-courtship tactic; where territorial males court multiple females in mid-water schools, which appears to culminate in a unique ‘school-spawning’ tactic. Courtship tactics were conditional on body size, local mate density and habitat, likely associated with changing trade-offs between potential mating opportunities and intra-sexual competition. Counter-intuitively, the aggregation showed a habitat-specific inverse size-assortment: large males courted small females on the reef slope while small males courted equal-sized or larger females on the shelf. These patterns remained stable across two years of observation at high, unfished densities. Conclusions These unique density-dependent behaviours may disappear from this aggregation as overall densities decline due to increasing commercial fishing pressure, with potentially large consequences for demographics and fitness.
Keywords
Spawning aggregation;High mating density;Alternative reproductive tactics;Shoal and pair courtship tactics;Inverse size-assortment;Squaretail grouper
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PUB22369