ALTERNATIVE REPRODUCTIVE TACTICS AND COURTSHIP IN THE COMMON GOBY

In the marine common goby Pomatoschistus microps, males either build n ests and attract females to spawn or act as sneakers. forcing themselv es into other males: nests during mating, to fertilize some of the egg s in the clutch. The reproductive tactics of small males were studied in the presence of surplus nest material and an excess of gravid femal es, while a larger. nestholding male spawned with a female. Of 24 smal l males., 13 only attempted to sneak, seven only courted females and/o r spawned in their own nest, and four performed both behaviours. The s mall males who attracted females successfully were significantly large r than the ones who failed to do so. Females had been courting the sma ll male more often when he subsequently spawned in his own nest, than when he did not get a female. The small males did not court th; female s very frequently, and their courtship rate did not depend on whether or not they attracted females. Instead, female courtship behaviour may be a cue for a male either to spawn as a nest holder or become a snea ker. The study pointed out the importance of female behaviour far male reproductive tactics. which could be more important in fish than is k nown currently. (C) 1998 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.