A field experiment to test nest choice in the peacock Blenny, Lipophrys pavo (Teleostei, Blennidae)

Male and female nest choice in the peacock blenny, Lipophrys pave Risso, wa s studied by monitoring artificial nests during the spawning season. Nests differed by entrance and internal size and were designed to capture male an d to estimate size and development stage of brood without damages. Globally , observations of males and broods were much more frequent in nests with sm allest entrance size. For a given entrance size, males were more present an d broods occurred sooner in the smallest nests. Criteria of male nest choic e could not be clearly determined. Females preferred to spawn in nests with small entrance and in smallest nests. Presence of eggs in the nest conside rably increased the nest attractiveness. In nests with eggs, the guarding-m ale can change without brood destruction suggesting the occurrence of allop aternal care in this species.