Astatotilapia burtoni facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Astatotilapia burtoni |
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The Astatotilapia burtoni is a type of fish from the Cichlidae family. You can find this fish in Lake Tanganyika and the rivers and swamps around it. These areas include parts of Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zambia.
This fish lives in different watery places. These include rivers, swamps, and freshwater lakes. It also lives in areas that are sometimes wet, like temporary rivers and marshes.
Scientists use Astatotilapia burtoni to study cichlid fish. It helps them learn about how cichlids develop and behave. This fish is special because it belongs to a very large group of cichlids called haplochromines. This group includes about 1,600 different species.
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Social Life of A. burtoni
Male Social Roles Can Change
Male Astatotilapia burtoni fish can have two different looks and behaviors. They can easily switch between being a leader (territorial) or a follower (non-territorial). This change depends on the other fish around them.
- Dominant males are brightly colored. They act aggressively to protect their space. They are also active in mating with females.
- Subordinate males look more like females. They do not try to mate. Their bodies are also not ready for reproduction.
When a male changes its social role, its brain and body change too. For example, if a dominant male meets a much bigger fish, it quickly becomes a subordinate. Its color changes, and its behavior shifts. However, it takes about three weeks for its body to fully change.
If a subordinate male becomes dominant, it acts aggressively right away. Its eye color also changes quickly. But it takes about one week for its body to be fully ready for its new role.
How Hormones Affect Social Roles
Scientists have studied why these fish change their social roles. They think a stress hormone called cortisol plays a part. Cortisol might change what the fish's body focuses on.
If a fish is under a lot of stress, its body might stop focusing on reproduction. Instead, it uses energy to fight the stress. This is why a dominant male might lose its ability to reproduce when it becomes subordinate.
Studies also show that a male's social role affects its hormone levels. Dominant males have much higher levels of male hormones like testosterone. These hormones are found in their blood plasma.
How Females Affect Male Behavior
The presence of females can also make male cichlids change their social roles. Females can also change their reproductive state. But their changes happen on their own, not because of social conditions.
Females use many clues to choose a mate. These clues can come from their genes, what they have learned, or their hormone levels. Females can be in an "egg-bearing" state or a "non-egg-bearing" state.
Studies show that egg-bearing females prefer dominant males. Non-egg-bearing females do not have a preference. This might be because egg-bearing females need dominant males to mate. This preference helps them get ready for spawning.
How They Reproduce
Male Courtship and Mouthbrooding
Astatotilapia burtoni males try to attract females. Dominant males will put on a show to get the attention of females passing by. Scientists found that the color of a male's dorsal fin (top fin) is very important. Females prefer males with brighter dorsal fins.
Here is how the courtship works:
- The male shows his side to the female and wiggles his body.
- He then tries to lead the female to a place where they can lay eggs.
- If the female follows, she is ready to spawn.
- She will peck at egg-shaped spots on the male's anal fin (bottom fin) as he wiggles again.
- The female then lays her eggs and gathers them in her mouth.
- She pecks at the egg spots on the male again.
- The male then fertilizes the eggs while they are in the female's mouth.
- This process repeats until the female has laid all her eggs.
After mating, the females keep the young fish in their mouths. This behavior is called mouthbrooding. They carry the eggs for about two weeks. Then, the females release their young.
Too much noise during mouthbrooding can cause problems. Females might eat their eggs or release the young too early. After releasing their young, females need several weeks to recover. Then they can mate again.
Mouthbrooding affects a female's hormones and reproductive cycle. Scientists have studied if these changes are due to not eating during mouthbrooding. They found that many of the changes are indeed caused by not eating.
How They Communicate
Sounds and Signals
Animals use many ways to communicate, especially when mating. A. burtoni use sight, smell, and sound to interact.
East African cichlids are known for their bright colors. These colors are very important for mating. But A. burtoni also uses sound to communicate. Scientists have studied the sounds males make and how females choose mates.
Experiments show that sound is very important for reproduction. This means that A. burtoni relies on sounds, not just colors, for complex social behaviors. The fish's body condition can also affect how it hears sounds. This means that internal clues can change how they react to sounds.
Sounds for Mating
One study showed that dominant males make sounds to attract females. These sounds are similar to what the males themselves can hear. The study found that the loud, wide-ranging sounds males made were linked to their body wiggles. This suggests the sounds were made on purpose for mating. Not all wiggles were with sounds.
The study also suggested that A. burtoni's hearing changes during its reproductive cycle. This might be due to changing hormones. Loud noise underwater can also affect how males communicate. Noise can change when and how males perform courtship. For example, they might make mating calls inside their shelters instead of near a female. This makes it harder for females to hear them.
See Also
