Reproductive performance of the redhead goby, Elacatinus puncticulatus, in captive conditions: firsts insights

The marine aquarium trade involves the commercialization of > 2500 species, yet few of these species are obtained from captivity. Fishes play an important role in the international marine trade, and the Gobiidae family is one of the most important, representing 5-7% of the total demand for marine organisms. To advance our understanding of culturing practices for aquarium fishes, the present study details the reproductive performance of the redhead goby, Elacatinus puncticulatus, a small, rocky reef fish used in the aquarium trade. Twenty-three reproductive pairs were monitored in laboratory conditions. The mean standard length of individuals was 25 ± 3 mm (mean ± SD), and males were bigger than females by at least 1 mm. We gathered data on the following parameters: (1) days until first spawning, (2) inter-spawning interval, and (3) number of eggs per spawning. Days until first spawning averaged 69 ± 40 days, being shorter when a female was in advanced gonadic development. When a female was paired with a bigger male, days until first spawning decreased, especially when the male was 6–8 mm bigger than the female. Inter-spawning intervals averaged 14 ± 13 days and were unrelated to standard length or the size difference between reproductive pairs. Finally, the number of eggs was 189 ± 69 and showed a positive relationship with female size, and tended to decrease with every new spawning event. The present work is the first to describe the reproductive performance of wild-caught redhead goby individuals in captivity, and such findings will potentially have implications for rearing the redhead goby for the aquarium trade.