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Female Mimicry as a Mating Tactic in Males of the Blenniid Fish Salaria Pavo

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 May 2009

Emanuel J. Gonçalves ,
Vitor C. Almada ,
Rui F. Oliveira  and
António J. Santos
Emanuel J. Gonçalves
Affiliation:
Unidade de Investigação em Eco-Etologia, Instituto Superior de Pisdologia Aplicada, R. Jardim do Tabaco 44, 1100 Lisboa, Portugal
Vitor C. Almada
Affiliation:
Unidade de Investigação em Eco-Etologia, Instituto Superior de Pisdologia Aplicada, R. Jardim do Tabaco 44, 1100 Lisboa, Portugal
Rui F. Oliveira
Affiliation:
Unidade de Investigação em Eco-Etologia, Instituto Superior de Pisdologia Aplicada, R. Jardim do Tabaco 44, 1100 Lisboa, Portugal
António J. Santos
Affiliation:
Unidade de Investigação em Eco-Etologia, Instituto Superior de Pisdologia Aplicada, R. Jardim do Tabaco 44, 1100 Lisboa, Portugal
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Extract

In this paper we present evidence for female mimicry in a population of Salaria pavo (Pisces: Blenniidae). Parental males differ markedly from females by the presence of a large crest on the head and anal glands on the two spiny rays of the anal fin. We found a proportion of smaller and younger males that are almost identical to females both in morphology and behaviour. These ‘female-like’ males lack secondary sexual characters and actively court parental males, displaying the female's colour pattern and courting behaviour. These males are sexually mature and their gonadosomatic indices are higher than those of parental males. Female mimicry is considered to be a functional way to achieve sneak fertilizations.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 76 , Issue 2 , May 1996 , pp. 529 - 538
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 1996

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