Please login first
Reproductive performance of the redhead goby, Elacatinus puncticulatus, in captive conditions: firsts insights
* 1 , 2 , 1 , 3
1  Marine Biology and Fisheries Program, National Polytechnic Institute, La Paz, Baja California Sur 23096, Mexico
2  Fisheries Ecology Program, Northwest Biological Research Center SC, La Paz, Baja California Sur 23096, Mexico
3  Department of Biology, Geology, and Environmental Science, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37403, USA
Academic Editor: Jorge Galindo-Villegas

Published: 12 March 2026 by MDPI in The 4th International Online Conference on Animals session Aquatic Animals
Abstract:

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.

Keywords: Fecundity; ornamental fish; aquarium trade; reproduction; Gobiidae

 
 
Top