Factors Affecting Courtship Success and Behavior of a Temperate Reef Fish,Brachyistius frenatus

Abstract

Abstract.-Size can play an important role in determining reproductive success through the establishment of dominance hierarchies and mate selection. We explored the relationship between size of individuals and courtship success in the kelp perch, Brachyistius frenatus, off the coast of southern California at Santa Catalina Island. Courtship displays were timed and the length of the interaction was used as a proxy for courtship success. In addition, we observed how much of their time individuals spent performing different activities throughout the day in two adjacent habitats dominated by different macroalgae. We found that body size played a significant role in determining the success of courtship. Large males were slightly more successful than small males, but the male: female size ratio was the best predictor of mating success of male B. frenatus, with males that were large relative to the female they were courting being most successful. Time allocated to different activities varied significantly with time of day and habitat. A greater proportion of time was spent on foraging in the morning than in the afternoon, and females spent more of their time foraging than did males. Behaviors other than foraging were only observed in one habitat type (understory algae) and courtship behavior was only observed during the afternoon. Smaller males tended to spend more time searching for receptive females than did larger males.

Effects of size and sex on the courting success and foraging behaviour ofEmbiotoca jacksoni

“…For example, size‐assortative courtship initiation and success in the small surfperches C. aggregata and M. minimus is thought to be the result of low mating success of small males with large females due to lack competitive dominance in C. aggregata (DeMartini, ) and due to the high energetic cost of mating in M. minimus (Warner & Harlan, ). The surfperch Brachyistius frenatus Gill 1862, however, does not show size‐assortative courtship, courting females of all sizes in one study (Tootell & Steele, ) and females of equal or smaller sizes in another study (DeMartini, ). This variation among species of embiotocids suggests that different species experience different costs associated with courting.…”

“…Surfperches (family Embiotocidae) provide excellent opportunities to study trade-offs between foraging and mating because mating behaviour is distinctly seasonal and many species are easy to observe in the field. While several studies on embiotocids have explored mating behaviour (DeMartini, 1988;Froeschke et al, 2007;Shaw & Allen, 1977;Warner & Harlan, 1982) or foraging behaviour (Holbrook et al, 1985;Schmitt & Holbrook, 1984), or both behaviours (Tootell & Steele, 2012), none have empirically evaluated trade-offs between the two behaviours. Typically, the size of an individual affects the success of males at courtship.…”

“…In some species, males will only court females of similar size (size-assortative courtship) and will only display agonistic behaviour against other males of similar size (DeMartini, 1988;Warner & Harlan, 1982). In other species, males will court females of a wide range of sizes, but courtship is most successful with females of similar size (DeMartini, 1988;Tootell & Steele, 2012). Generally, for the species studied to date, larger males defend territories that contain mating sites and sometimes food, which provides them & to females via mate selection by females (Hixon, 1981;Shaw & Allen, 1977;Warner & Harlan, 1982 Froeschke et al (2007) for courtship behaviour in this species).…”

Strong nonlinear selection against fluctuating asymmetry in wild populations of a marine fish

“…obs.). Reproduction begins in the fall and courtship and mating have been observed from October to December (DeMartini ; Tootell and Steele ). Kelp surfperch grow rapidly and mature within their first year of age and their average generation time is just over one year (Baltz ).…”