The effect of a depth gradient on the mating behavior, oviposition site preference, and embryo production in the zebrafish, Danio rerio.

ABSTRACT: Captive zebrafish (Danio rerio) exhibit a limited repertoire of mating behaviors, likely due to the somewhat unnatural environment of aquaria. Observations in their natural habitat led us to believe that a depth gradient within the mating setup would positively affect fish mating. By tilting the tank to produce a depth gradient, we observed novel behaviors along with a preference for oviposition in the shallow area. Although we did not see an increase in the likelihood of a pair of fish to mate, we did see an increase in the embryo output in both adults and juveniles. In the adults, tilting led to a significant increase in embryo production (436 +/- 35 tilted vs. 362 +/- 34 untilted; p < 0.05). A similar effect was seen in juvenile fish as they progressed through sexual maturity. These res

SUBMITTER: Sessa AK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2768058 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature