A brood parasitic catfish of mouthbrooding cichlid fishes in Lake Tanganyika

Nature
T Sato

Abstract

Brood parasitism, where a brood of the parasitic species is fostered by the parents of another species, is well known among birds. In most cases, such offspring show a complete reliance upon their host parents for food, protection and warmth until their independence. In other vertebrate groups, however, such total dependence upon a host species is unknown. I report here the first example of true brood parasitic behaviour discovered among fishes. In Lake Tanganyika, an endemic mochokid catfish, Synodontis multipunctatus Boulenger, is a brood parasite of mouthbrooding fishes of the family Cichlidae. The eggs of the catfish are incubated in the mouths of any of several host species together with the host's eggs, but hatch earlier. Following absorption of their yolk sacs, the catfish fry feed upon the fry of the host while still in its mouth. Thus the early stages of development of this catfish not only depend upon their hosts for food and protection, but exploit almost their entire parental investment.

References


❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Dec 2, 2008·Biology Letters·Jason L BrownKyle Summers
Nov 22, 2013·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Marcel HonzaPetr Procházka
Dec 24, 2002·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Magnus EnquistCarl-Adam Wachtmeister
Jan 13, 2011·Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society·Rebecca M Kilner, Naomi E Langmore
Jun 21, 2006·BMC Evolutionary Biology·Stephan KoblmüllerWalter Salzburger
Aug 9, 2011·International Journal of Evolutionary Biology·Kristina M Sefc
Sep 30, 2014·Journal of Evolutionary Biology·T PammingerP S Pennings
Jul 3, 2003·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·Maria R Servedio, Russell Lande
Feb 20, 2009·Journal of Evolutionary Biology·J J DayJ P Friel
Oct 8, 2013·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·Jessica R LitmanSophie Cardinal
Jan 1, 1986·Cell Motility and the Cytoskeleton·T D PollardM Sato
Jan 27, 2015·Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology·Malcolm S Gordon, Julia C Notar
Aug 9, 2016·The Veterinary Clinics of North America. Exotic Animal Practice·Helen E Roberts-Sweeney
Jan 11, 2013·Systematic Biology·Julia J DayTimo Moritz
Dec 27, 2016·Royal Society Open Science·Hiroki Hata, Haruki Ochi
Apr 17, 2020·Journal of Fish Biology·Tetsumi Takahashi, Stephan Koblmüller
Jun 29, 1996·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·E VerheyenA Meyer
Mar 14, 2018·Ecology and Evolution·Claire R PeartJulia J Day
Apr 11, 2019·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Marcus S CohenAlexander Cruz
Apr 11, 2019·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Rose ThorogoodRos Gloag
Apr 11, 2019·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Jessica R Litman
Apr 11, 2019·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·M PolačikR Blažek
Mar 10, 2021·Trends in Parasitology·Henry S PollockMark E Hauber

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.