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Parental behaviour in relation to food availability in the common goby
Animal Behaviour
|December 16, 1998
Summary
Male common gobies cannibalize eggs for energy, not nutrients. Small clutches and poor nest conditions increase filial cannibalism risk in this fish species.
Area of Science:
- Ethology
- Behavioral Ecology
- Ichthyology
Background:
- Male common gobies (Pomatoschistus microps) exhibit parental care, guarding eggs in nests.
- Filial cannibalism, where parents consume their offspring, is observed in various species.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the drivers of filial cannibalism in male common gobies.
- Determine if resource availability or clutch value influences egg cannibalism.
Main Methods:
- A feeding experiment was conducted on male common gobies.
- Males were subjected to different food treatments (limited, excess, excess with mussel meat).
- Nest building quality and cannibalism rates (partial and whole clutch) were monitored.
Main Results:
- Males with limited food exhibited higher partial clutch cannibalism.
- Excess food, including mussel meat, did not significantly increase cannibalism compared to gobies fed eggs.
- Males abandoned entire clutches if they were exceptionally small, irrespective of food availability.
- Poorly built nests correlated with starved males and increased partial clutch cannibalism.
Conclusions:
- Partial filial cannibalism in common gobies is likely driven by the need for energy.
- Whole clutch cannibalism is influenced by the clutch's reproductive value relative to guarding costs.
- Nest quality may serve as an indicator of male condition and predict cannibalism risk.
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