Multiple paternity in the cooperatively breeding fish <Emphasis Type="Italic">Neolamprologus pulcher</Emphasis> |
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Authors: | P Dierkes M Taborsky R Achmann |
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Institution: | 1.Konrad Lorenz Institut für Vergleichende Verhaltensforschung,Vienna,Austria;2.Department of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Zoology,University of Berne,Hinterkappelen/Bern,Switzerland;3.Ludwig-Boltzmann-Institute for Cyto-, Immuno- and Molecular Genetic Research,University of Veterinary Medicine,Vienna,Austria |
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Abstract: | In cooperative breeders, mature males may compete for fertilizations. In this study, we measured the degree of multiple paternity
in a natural population of a cooperatively breeding fish. Neolamprologus pulcher (Perciformes: Cichlidae) is a highly social cichlid endemic to Lake Tanganyika. We used highly variable microsatellite loci
to survey 12 groups with an average number of 10.6 brood care helpers per group and a total of 43 offspring (mean 3.6 per
brood). In 11 of 12 groups, all young were assigned to the dominant female. The dominant male sired all offspring in three
groups, part of the offspring in four groups, and in five groups, he had no paternity at all. In total, 44.2% of young were
not fathered by the current male territory owner. Multiple paternity was found in 5 of 12 broods (41.7 %), with 8 of 35 young
(22.9 %) being sired by males other than the respective territory owners. This is an exceptionally high rate of extra-pair
paternity among cooperatively breeding vertebrates. Neither helpers present in these territories during collection nor neighbouring
males were unequivocally assigned to have sired these extra-pair young. However, behavioural observations suggest that male
helpers may have produced these young before being expelled from the territory in response to this reproductive parasitism.
We discuss these results in the light of reproductive skew theory, cooperative breeding in vertebrates and alternative reproductive
tactics in fish. |
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Keywords: | Parentage Microsatellites Cichlids Lake Tanganyika Alternative mating tactics |
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