---

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

In the three-spined stickleback, a male builds a nest for spawning. The nest is shaped like a tunnel and is made of thready materials, such as pieces of algae. A male carries nest materials to the nest and adjusts the shape of the nest with the mouth. It pushes its cloacae against the nest and secretes mucus from the kidney by vibrating the body, and glues the nest materials together with the mucus. Near the completion of the nest, the male digs a channel in the nest.

In the video, a male is gluing the nest materials together with the mucus secreted from the kidney.

When the nest is complete, the male courts a female and leads her to the nest by performing zigzag dances. The female enters the nest and lays eggs. Once the female leaves the nest, the male enters the nest, releases sperm, and fertilizes the eggs.

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

(Data No.momo051103ga03b)

Copyrights belong to author.
Read Terms of Service carefully

>>Japanese

[Database Home]