Filial cannibalism paper Flashcards
(7 cards)
Why can parental care be costly?
Time consuming
Energetically demanding
Expose parents to predators or disease
What is filial cannibalism?
Consuming your own offspring
What are some pros of filial cannibalism?
Preventing costs of parental care impending future reproduction - investment into future reproduction
Provide energy and nutrition to parents
Resources aquired can be used to support uneaten young
What were the predictions made for sand gobies in the presence of a predator?
Less likely to engage in total filial cannibalism
Eat fewer eggs in they partially cannibalise their eggs
Because potential to reinvest resources gained by cannibalism is limited
This is all especially true if filial cannibalism is to improve future reproductive success rather than current
What were the methods carried out for the filial cannibalism experiment?
Caught fish from nature reserve and put in experimental tanks
Exposed to natural light and temperature
Perch were unfed during experiment
Larger males picked as they dominate nesting sites
Added predator to treatment with a plastic plant (to act as refuge for the perch)
Control only had plastic plant added
What were the results from the filial cannibalism experiment?
All males consumed at least some eggs (minimum was 12) and 18/64 engaged in full filial cannibalism
Males with small intial clutches were more likely to engage in full filial cannibalsim (Figure 2)
Males exposed to a perch tended tp decrease likelihood of total clutch cannibalism - this was marginally notsignificant
Prespwaning male body condition and water oxygen levels had nothing to do with cannibalism
Positive correlation between nest entrance height and width at the end of the brooding period
In partial filial cannibalistics, height and width of nest entrance was unrelated to predation treatment. In total cannibals, exposure to perch was associated with significantly taller and wider nest entrances - Table 3 and Figure 3
