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Pregnant pipefish with a simple brooding surface loose less weight when carrying heavier eggs: evidence of compensation for low oocyte quality?

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A Correction to this article was published on 04 December 2019

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Abstract

The evolutionary radiation of syngnathids has been accompanied by a diversification of structures involved in parental care, from a hypothetical ancestral presenting a simple brooding structure. The architectural simplicity of Nerophis male brooding structures led to the hypothesis that the relationship between father and developing embryos was feeble, unlike that observed in syngnathids with brood pouches. Here, we show that males loose considerable weight during pregnancy, especially so when egg weight is low. These results highlight the possibility of a compensatory mechanism and help justify why males in the wild tend to select large and colourful females, which are more fecund and able to produce larger eggs. Together with available information on the mating system, we also discuss some of the interplaying reasons behind the observed sex role reversal and high sexual dimorphism in the worm pipefish.

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Fig. 1

Change history

  • 04 December 2019

    The original version of this article was incorrectly published with article title. The correct article title is shown above.

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Acknowledgements

The Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology funded Nuno Monteiro through a postdoc grant (SFRH/BPD/103829/2014). We thank the contribution of Clara Amorim, Anders Berglund and an anonymous reviewer, which helped improve the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal

    B. Miranda & N. Vieira

  2. CIIMAR/CIMAR, Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Universidade do Porto, Rua dos Bragas, 289, 4050-123, Porto, Portugal

    N. Vieira

  3. CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-661, Vairao, Portugal

    Nuno Monteiro

  4. CEBIMED, Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Fernando Pessoa, rua Carlos da Maia 296, 4200-150, Porto, Portugal

    Nuno Monteiro

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  1. B. Miranda
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  2. N. Vieira
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  3. Nuno Monteiro
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Correspondence to Nuno Monteiro.

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Miranda, B., Vieira, N. & Monteiro, N. Pregnant pipefish with a simple brooding surface loose less weight when carrying heavier eggs: evidence of compensation for low oocyte quality?. acta ethol 20, 313–317 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10211-017-0268-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10211-017-0268-1

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