PARENTAL STATE AND OFFSPRING RECOGNITION IN THE BIPARENTAL CICHLID FISH PELVICACHROMIS PULCHER

Alloparental care was investigated in the biparental West African cich lid, Pelvicachromis pulcher. Non-breeding adults typically consumed yo ung conspecifics but this trait was inhibited in both sexes during rep roductive attempts. Alien conspecific young were accepted into the bro od if they were of a similar age/developmental stage to the parents' o wn young but not if they were much older or much younger. If not accep ted they were consumed by whichever adult located them. Parents separa ted from their brood for up to 4 days accepted their young on reunion but separation for more than 4 days resulted in the young being consum ed. This latter response occurred if chemical stimuli from the young w ere available during the separation but not if visual stimuli were ava ilable. In this latter case parental responsiveness was maintained. Bo th sexes of this externally fertilizing species appeared to have the s ame information about their young and showed the same changes in respo nsiveness and the same discriminatory abilities. (C) 1997 The Associat ion for the Study of Animal Behaviour.