Parental strategy of the cichlid fish Perissodus microlepis, with particular reference to intraspecific brood 'farming out'

Abstract

One parent was experimentally removed from brooding pairs of Perissodus microlepis in the field. The removal elicited drastic behavioural changes in the remaining parent and young. The remaining parent sometimes showed a sequence of peculiar behaviours which were not observed when guarding the young with its mate. Some left the brooding site with young in their mouths and then put the young under the care of another pair of brooding parents. © 1985 Dr W. Junk Publishers.