Trujillo-García, M., H., Klug & B.P., Ceballos-Vázquez (2025). Female Filial Cannibalism in the Redhead Goby (Elacatinus puncticulatus) in Captivity. Diversity. 17(5): 365. DOI: 10.3390/d17050365.
Miguel Trujillo-García 1, Hope Klug 2 y Bertha Patricia Ceballos-Vázquez 1
Filial cannibalism is the consumption of one’s own viable progeny. It occurs in a range of taxa but is particularly well-documented in fish species. Since parental care in fishes is typically male-biased, it is usually assumed that filial cannibalism is predominantly performed by the parental male while he is providing care to offspring. Filial cannibalism by females is less studied in fish. Video-recorded observations of ten pairs of adults housed in captivity revealed the first documentation of female filial cannibalism in the redhead goby (Elacatinus puncticulatus). Females were observed consuming both their own eggs and larvae. We discuss non-adaptive and adaptive explanations for female filial cannibalism in the redhead goby, including confinement due to captivity, nutritional or energetic need, and a possible lack of kin recognition. Understanding the evolutionary significance of filial cannibalism exhibited by females is an important biological inquiry. Since the redhead goby is a species used in the aquarium trade, understanding the conditions that influence female filial cannibalism in captivity may yield practical implications.
Palabras clave: Gobiidae; Teleostei; mother; reproductive success; infanticide; behavior
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