REPRODUCTIVE-BIOLOGY OF AN ENDEMIC, AMPHIDROMOUS GOBY LENTIPES-CONCOLOR IN HAWAIIAN STREAMS

Egg size, fecundity, nest site selection, and breeding structure of th e amphidromous Hawaiian goby Lentipes concolor were studied to determi ne if there was any relationship between these aspects of the breeding biology of this fish and the very long larval period of Hawaiian stre am gobies. To do this, these parameters were compared with those known for other gobioid fishes. While eggs were small and females were foun d to lay up to four nests in a season, reproductive biology and mating behavior of L. concolor were typical of many gobies in spite of its a mphidromous life history pattern. Lentipes concolor nests were found f rom October to June with a spawning peak in February. Nests tended to be positioned closer to the stream bank, and under larger rocks than i f they were situated randomly. Depth and mean water column velocity ov er nest sites did not differ from that at randomly selected points in the stream.