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Group structure and putative mating system of three hermaphrodite gobiid fish, Priolepis akihitoi, Trimma emeryi, and Trimma hayashii (Actinopterygii: Gobiiformes)

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Abstract

We investigated the mating system of three sex changing gobiid fishes: Priolepis akihitoi, Trimma emeryi, and Trimma hayashii by underwater observation or specimen collection. P. akihitoi were found in pairs or were solitary. As the pair bond persisted for at least two months, and pair individuals seemed to mate with each other repeatedly, a monogamous mating system was suggested in P. akihitoi. In contrast, the harem-like group (living in a group composed of one largest male and some smaller females and/or immature individuals) of T. hayashii and T. emeryi suggested that these species have harem polygyny.

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Acknowledgments

The Ito diving service BOMMIE provided the facilities for the fieldwork. We are grateful to K. Shiota, N. Yamamoto, R. Tamaki, Y. Kazama and other staff of the above diving service for their encouragement during the study. Thanks are also due to S. Yokoyama for his assistance. Critical reading by two anonymous reviewers led to significant improvement of the manuscript. This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grants to T.S. (No. 19570016, 24370006 and 16K07507) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Fish Behavioral Ecology, Tateyama Station, Field Science Center, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, 670 Banda, Tateyama, 294-0308, Japan

    Kazuya Fukuda & Tomoki Sunobe

  2. Laboratory of Fish Biology, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, 464-8601, Japan

    Kazuya Fukuda

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  1. Kazuya Fukuda
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  2. Tomoki Sunobe
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Correspondence to Kazuya Fukuda.

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Fukuda, K., Sunobe, T. Group structure and putative mating system of three hermaphrodite gobiid fish, Priolepis akihitoi, Trimma emeryi, and Trimma hayashii (Actinopterygii: Gobiiformes). Ichthyol Res 67, 552–558 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-020-00750-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-020-00750-w

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