Sound production during courtship and spawning among freshwater gobiids (pisces, gobiidae)

Abstract

In this paper the breeding sound production among gobiids is reviewed. Results of recent comparative studies on both pre‐spawning (courtship) and spawning sound production in the three italian freshwater gobiids are reported. A significant production of sounds associated to mating was discovered in two of these species. Furthermore, the quantification of acoustic behaviour across the spawning period (i.e., from the beginning of oviposition until the departure of the female from the male's nest) revealed a pattern of spawning sound production similar in the two species.

Key words:

• Padogobius martensii
• Padogobius nigricans
• Knipowitschia punctatissima
• spawning sounds
• substrate spawners
• protracted spawning
• complex vocalizations

Notes

Address for correspondence: PATRIZIA TORRICELLI, Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Venezia, campo della Celestia, castello 2737/B, 30122 Venezia, Italy.