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Courtship Role Reversal in Sevenspine Goby, Gymnogobius heptacanthus (Gobiidae)

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Abstract

Females of the sevenspine goby Gymnogobius heptacanthus are more colorful and active in courtship display than males. Females tend to exhibit agonistic behavior in female-female competition reaching its highest level in their completed readiness to spawn. In addition, females are sex-role reversed, performing courtship displays. Fish behavioral patterns are rather simple. Thus, the level of male aggression is very low. They do not initiate any courtship display. The spawning ground is not a strictly-guarded site of importance. A small number of male spawners can be a key factor for the sex-role reversal occurrence.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The author is deeply grateful to A.A. Kepel (Far Eastern Marine Reserve, Branch of Zhirmunsky National Scientific Center of Marine Biology, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences) for the editing of photos and drawings. The authors also express their sincere gratitude to H. Munehara (Field Science Center for Nothern Biosphere, Hokkaido University, Japan) and O.M. Korn (Zhirmunsky National Sciencific Center of Marine Biology, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences) for their assistance in carrying out literature searches.

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  1. Zhirmunsky National Scientific Center of Marine Biology, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 690041, Vladivostok, Russia

    A. I. Markevich

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  1. A. I. Markevich
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Correspondence to A. I. Markevich.

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Translated by O. Zhiryakova

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Markevich, A.I. Courtship Role Reversal in Sevenspine Goby, Gymnogobius heptacanthus (Gobiidae). J. Ichthyol. 60, 653–659 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0032945220040116

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