Genetic Mating Systems and Reproductive Natural Histories of Fishes: Lessons for Ecology and Evolution

Abstract

Fish species have diverse breeding behaviors that make them valuable for testing theories on genetic mating systems and reproductive tactics. Here we review genetic appraisals of paternity and maternity in wild fish populations. Behavioral phenomena quantified by genetic markers in various species include patterns of multiple mating by both sexes; frequent cuckoldry by males and rare cuckoldry by females in nest-tending species; additional routes to surrogate parentage via nest piracy and egg-thievery; egg mimicry by nest-tending males; brood parasitism by helper males in cooperative breeders; clutch mixing in oral brooders; kinship in schooling fry of broadcast spawners; sperm storage by dams in female-pregnant species; and sex-role reversal, polyandry, and strong sexual selection on females in some male-pregnant species. Additional phenomena addressed by genetic parentage analyses in fishes include clustered mutations, filial cannibalism, and local population size. All results are discussed in the context of relevant behavioral and evolutionary theory.

Evidence of polygamy in the socially monogamous Amazonian fish Arapaima gigas (Schinz, 1822) (Osteoglossiformes, Arapaimidae)

“…The analysis of microsatellite data provides powerful information on the relatedness and parentage of individuals, including fishes (Avise et al, 2002). Various authors have discussed the diverse reproductive behaviors and tactics found in fishes through genetic assessments of parentage (Taborsky, 2001(Taborsky, , 2008Wilson & Ferguson, 2002;Hain & Neff, 2007), and their findings have revolutionized the study of reproductive behavior, revealing that individuals of many species engage in extra-pair copulations, including parasitic spawning behavior between satellite and territorial males such as sneaking, egg piracy and female mimicry of cooperative breeding between satellite and territorial males.…”

Assignment methods: matching biological questions with appropriate techniques

“…Parentage analysis, which involves identifying the parents of specific individuals [57,58], is a particular case of ATs and is affected by many of the same statistical issues as ATs are [59]. Ideally, all potential parents are genotyped and all but one pair can be excluded categorically, based on the multilocus genotype of the progeny.…”

Parentage and sibship exclusions: higher statistical power with more family members

“…Parentage inferences from molecular marker data have been widely applied to the studies of social behaviour/ organization, reproductive success, mating systems, dispersal and spatial genetic structure in natural populations (Hughes, 1998;Coltman et al, 1999;Garant et al, 2001;Avise et al, 2002;Robledo-Arnuncio and Gil, 2005;Bretman and Tregenza, 2005). Several classes of statistical methods are proposed to perform parentage analyses using data of various genetic markers (Marshall et al, 1998;Jones and Ardren, 2003).…”