Abstract
Microsatellite markers were developed and employed to assess genetic maternity and paternity of embryos in nest-tended clutches of the Molly Miller (Scartella cristata), a marine fish in which alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs) by males were recently described from behavioral and morphological evidence. Genetic data gathered for 1,536 surveyed progeny, from 23 barnacle-nest holes in a single Floridian population, indicate that on average about 5.5 females (range 3–9) contributed to the pool of progeny within a nest. With regard to paternity, the microsatellite data demonstrate that most of the surveyed nests (82.6%) contained at least some embryos that had not been sired by the nest-tending (bourgeois) male, and overall that 12.4% of offspring in the population had been sired via stolen fertilizations by other males. These are among the highest values of cuckoldry documented to date in nest-tending fishes, and they support and quantify the notion that the nest-parasitic ART is reproductively quite successful in this species despite what would otherwise seem to be highly defensible nesting sites (the restricted interior space of a barnacle shell). Our estimated cuckoldry rates in this population of the Molly Miller are compared to those previously reported for local populations in other nest-tending fish species, with results discussed in the context of ecological and behavioral variables that may influence relative frequencies of nest parasitism.
Highlights
In fish species with external fertilization and extended parental care of offspring in nests, intense competition for access to mates and fertilizations has frequently led to the evolution of male alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs) (Gross 1991, 1996; Taborsky 1994, 2001)
The most common dichotomy is between bourgeois males and parasitic sneakers (Taborsky 1998)
Sneaker males can be much smaller and less colorful, show no proclivity to tend nests, and often have much higher testis size relative to body mass
Summary
In fish species with external fertilization and extended parental care of offspring in nests (usually by males), intense competition for access to mates and fertilizations has frequently led to the evolution of male alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs) (Gross 1991, 1996; Taborsky 1994, 2001). The genetic findings on cuckoldry rates will be interpreted in the context of earlier behavioral and morphological observations for this species They will be compared to similar microsatellite-based reports for local populations in other nest-tending species, in order to address various ecological and behavioral factors that might influence relative frequencies of nest parasitism in fishes
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