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Animalia >Chordata >Osteichthyes >Gasterosteiformes >Gasterosteidae >Gasterosteus >

During the reproductive season, a male three-spined stickleback establishes a territory and starts building a nest on the bottom. The male first digs a pit on the bottom. It places pieces of water plants in the pit and glue the pieces together with the mucus secreted from the kidney. It repeats this process until the nest reaches a certain size. The male then makes a tunnel, one-fish-width wide, in the nest by digging through the nest. Once the nest is complete, the male courts gravid females and females lay eggs in the nest tunnel. Only the male parent takes care of the eggs and hatched embryos.

The male in the video has eggs in the nest. The male faces the channel and moves its pectoral fins, pumping fresh water over the eggs in the nest (fanning behavior). The male then repairs the nest by vibrating the body and rubbing its cloacae against the nest.

(This video picture was prepared by 'Friends of Fukui City Museum of Natural History during a project 'Educational Videos on the Three-spined Stickleback.' http://www.nature.museum.city.fukui.fukui.jp/friends/itoyo/)
(translated by Asoh)

(Data No.momo050714ga02b)

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