Parenting is a real duet in reef fish

In a recently published articles in magazines Ecology, the two researchers described this behavior in detail and explained why they thought it was indeed a case of paternal protection (something that had never been seen in squid). ‘Spot checking’ by the male before the female lays eggs is a common feature in monogamous species, but in head potty, the father’s attention is rare.

Although the researchers say they don’t fully understand the phenomenon, the findings could change their view of squid reproduction. He said the dynamics between men and women were “much more complex than we thought. We still have a lot to learn,” admits Eduardo Sampaio.

Men are eager to pass on their genes

Our researchers compared the videos taken between one in Indonesia and another in Egypt and were able to conclude that the spot detection for the trace was intentional and unintentional. They also note that in some cases, when the female is unattended, other males will approach and mate with her.

What can cause a male to leave his mate unattended? Even a brief absence provides a real opportunity for another man to fertilize this one. Since this neglect threatens male reproductive success, researchers think it must be motivated by good reason.

The researchers could not directly observe what was happening inside the cavity. The male can ‘clean the area, make sure the substrate allows the eggs to stick, see if any other males – even predators’ are hiding there and that the eggs are there. ‘

All of this tends to suggest that males in largefin reef fish are more concerned with transmitting their genes than previously thought.

In squid and cuttlefish, the female incubates her eggs until they hatch, cleaning them and delivering oxygen through the water to stir them up using her tentacles and suck them in. Men do not play a role. In many species, the female dies after the eggs hatch.

Fernando Angel Fernandez-Alvarez, a chief specialist and postdoctoral researcher at the Irish Research Committee and the National University of Ireland in Galway, said he was also amazed by the discovery.

“I’ve never seen anything like this in squid,” he said. These dominant males usually do not stray too far from the females as other males may go with them. ‘If he did not take part in the research, Fernando ngel Fernández-Álvarez believes in the solidity of the research.

FUTURE OF FOLLOWING INVESTIGATIONS

According to him, this latest research highlights the importance of further studying the reproduction of cephalopods in the wild.

“What we know about the behavior of this species comes largely from research done in aquariums,” explains Fernando ngel Fernández-Álvarez. It is possible that this artificial environment is too simple for the squid to go and examine the cavity.

Eduardo Sampaio and Samantha Cheng are now looking to other researchers to see if other large reef fish behave the same way elsewhere in the world.

‘The biggest challenge when studying species living over such a large area is to obtain a comprehensive and representative sample. By collaborating with other researchers, we get the opportunity to find time and resources to collaborate on global studies,” said Samantha Cheng.

However, there is no doubt that squid (and perhaps fleas in general) have more complex breeding behaviors than we might expect.

“The more we learn about squid,” concluded Eduardo Sampaio, the more complex and astonishing they become. “

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