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Reproductive success of parasitized males in a marine reef fish

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Abstract

Parasitism is hypothesized to reduce reproductive success in heavily parasitized males because females may preferentially mate with less parasitized males (parasite-mediated sexual selection) or parasites may compromise male competitiveness. In marine systems, this hypothesis is largely unexplored. This paper provides the first confirmed record of a copepod ectoparasite (Caligus buechlerae Hewitt 1964) on the common triplefin (Forsterygion lapillum) and evaluates the hypothesis that males parasitized with C. buechlerae experience lower reproductive success than unparasitized males (as determined by the presence and area of eggs within male nests). We found that 38 % of males we surveyed were infected with at least one C. buechlerae, with a median of two individuals per infected male. About 32 % of males were defending eggs, with 62.5 % of those males infected with at least one parasite. Males of greater total length (TL) were both more likely to be infected and more likely to be defending eggs. However, when statistically accounting for the effects of TL, parasite infection had no effect on the probability of defending eggs, or the average surface area of eggs when present. Positive covariation in fish length, the presence of eggs and parasite infection observed here potentially suggest that the importance of parasitic infection on reproductive success may depend upon the strength of selection for larger male body size. Our study is one of the few studies to investigate the effects of ectoparasites on reproductive success in reef fish and also provides a quantitative measure of infection for a widespread species within New Zealand.

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by an “OBI Coasts and Oceans” grant from the New Zealand Foundation for Research, Science and Technology that was awarded to the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric science (NIWA) with a subcontract to JS, and a Marsden grant awarded to JS. Logistic support was provided by the Victoria University Coastal Ecology Lab (VUCEL), of which this paper is a contribution. We gratefully acknowledge the research and technical assistance from the following people: C. Guinut, A. LaFerriere and D. Garrett. In addition, four anonymous reviewers made helpful contributions to this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand

    Paul J. Mensink & Jeffrey S. Shima

  2. Victoria University Coastal Ecology Lab, 396 The Esplanade, Island Bay, Wellington, New Zealand

    Paul J. Mensink & Jeffrey S. Shima

  3. Department of Conservation, 32 Manners St, Te Aro, Wellington, New Zealand

    Shane W. Geange

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  1. Paul J. Mensink
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Correspondence to Paul J. Mensink.

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Communicated by K. D. Clements.

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Mensink, P.J., Geange, S.W. & Shima, J.S. Reproductive success of parasitized males in a marine reef fish. Mar Biol 161, 2689–2696 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-014-2533-4

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