The spawning behaviour of the endangered freshwater fish Ladigesocypris ghigii (Gianferrari, 1927)

Abstract

Summary Ladigesocypris ghigii (Gianferrari, 1927), commonly called gizani, is an endangered freshwater fish endemic to the Greek island of Rhodes. The spawning behaviour of gizani was studied in aquaria, to develop an artificial breeding technique for this endangered species. Spawning in captivity was recorded over 41 spawning days between 15 February and 14 July 2001, under constant temperature (18 or 21°C) and photoperiod 14L/10D. The number of spawning acts in a day was 82 ± 28. No aggressiveness and no territoriality were developed. The mating system of the fish was polygamous, with females spawning more than once. In captivity, eggs are laid either on aquatic plants or on gravel, while in nature fish spawn mainly on algae and plants. The latter suggests that, as far as breeding substrate is concerned, gizani is an opportunistic species using different substrates when necessary.