| Main Ref. | Gibran, F.Z., F.B. Santos, H.F. dos Santos and J. Sabino, 2004 |
| Mode | dioecism |
| Fertilization | external |
| Mating type | polygyny |
| Spawning frequency | throughout the year, but peaking once |
| Spawning aggregation | Ref. |
| Batch spawner | Yes. Ref. Gibran, F.Z., F.B. Santos, H.F. dos Santos and J. Sabino, 2004 |
| Reproductive guild |
guarders nesters |
| Parental Care | |
| Description of life cycle and mating behavior | Exhibits paternal care. Mating begins with three stages of courtship: 1) attraction and identification of prospective mate; 2) arousal and appeasement by nudging (the female initiates this move); 3) synchrony occurs when the female starts to rub the rocky wall in the spawning territory, quivering her body against the rock, shaking her anal fin and keeping her dorsal fin erect, the male meanwhile remained perpendicular, biting the sides of the female's body, dorsal fin and upper side of head, and sometimes rubbing her body laterally with his tail. Release of eggs and sperm follows as the male and female bodies quiver. Nest fanning by the male parent comes after this range of display. Driven out by the male, the female moves away from the spawning area while the male continues to patrol the nest, swimming in circular direction and defending the area against other fish. Each cycle lasts for 65.3 seconds, becoming shorter in duration when there are two females involved in the mating event. One cycle is followed by another after the male has returned from patrolling the nest (Ref. 55747). |
| Search for more references on reproduction | Scirus |