Reproductive behavior of the anemonefish Amphiprion clarkii at Miyake-jima, Japan

• Published in: Gyoruigaku zasshi Vol. 23; no. 1; pp. 23 - 32
• Main Authors: Moyer J.T, Bell L.J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: The Ichthyological Society of Japan 1976
• ISSN: 0021-5090; 1884-7374
• DOI: 10.11369/jji1950.23.23

The reproductive behavior of the anemonefish, Amphiprion clarkii (Bennett) is described from the island of Miyake-jima, Japan.Host anemones of the genus Parasicyonis provide nesting habitats which vary considerably in size, resulting in differences in social behavior.Agonistic behavior is more pronounced in large, crowded colonies than in small ones with a single dominant pair and 2-3 subdominant fish.Only dominant fish are sexually active.Courtship behavior is initiated by the male and consists merely of nest cleaning, sometimes with bodies touching, and nipping at the tentacles of the anemones.Head-shaking, dorsal and ventral leanings, and jawclicking, often described as courtship displays, are considered here as agonistic behavior, occurring more regularly in newly established pairs where the pair bond is weak than in established“veterans” . Spawning takes place between 9 AM-3 PM.The male assumes most of the responsibility for egg-care, the female only rarely fanning eggs.Nocturnal egg care is lacking except on the night of hatching.Eggs hatch between 34-70 min after sunset.