# Fish breeding strategies.



## Snizard93

Hey there, kind of a random one but here goes... :whistling2:

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the following breeding strategies?

1. Egg scatterer
2. Live bearer
3. Mouth brooder
4. Bubble nest builder

Thanks :no1:


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## dyzasta

All have their risks and i would say that none of them are perfect or natural selection would mean that they would all do the one with the highest sucess rate.

Livebearers loose so many young in a populated tank because the young are usually snack size to something else in the tank ( sometimes even the mother ) whereas the egglayers / mouthbrooders / bubblenest builders will usually loose a similar proportion of young once they grow up to be snack size should they get that far. There is a reason they have so many young - as its usually a small percentage that will make it without human intervention.

If you plan on overseeing the breeding procedure and governing it well - you will have success with either of the 4 methods.


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## Snizard93

dyzasta said:


> All have their risks and i would say that none of them are perfect or natural selection would mean that they would all do the one with the highest sucess rate.
> 
> Livebearers loose so many young in a populated tank because the young are usually snack size to something else in the tank ( sometimes even the mother ) whereas the egglayers / mouthbrooders / bubblenest builders will usually loose a similar proportion of young once they grow up to be snack size should they get that far. There is a reason they have so many young - as its usually a small percentage that will make it without human intervention.
> 
> If you plan on overseeing the breeding procedure and governing it well - you will have success with either of the 4 methods.


The reason I am asking is because this is a small section in my Aquatics subject this year at college. We get four assignments for each subject and this is a small part of one assignment. I am at college studying Level 3 National Diploma in Animal Management.

That is why I kinda of need definitive advantages and disadvantages for each. Thanks.


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## hippyhaplos

Snizard93 said:


> Hey there, kind of a random one but here goes... :whistling2:
> 
> What are the advantages and disadvantages of the following breeding strategies?
> 
> 1. Egg scatterer Large numbers of fry, no parental care, large numer of fry eaten before maturity.
> 2. Live bearer No need to wait on eggs hatching, more advanced young, energy intensive on the mother
> 3. Mouth brooder Parental protection, fry are more advanced when made to look after themselves, time and energy consuming for parents
> 4. Bubble nest builder eggs off the bottom, away from scavengers, constantly tended with any bad ones removed protecting the others, time and energy consuming for parent/s, nest can be ruined by turbulence.
> 
> Thanks :no1:



some advantages and disadvantages


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## Snizard93

Thanks for the reply hippyhaplos, but I already have those. Apparently I was too brief so that is why I have come here for some help! : victory:

Here is what I gave in, which was apparently to "brief". So I need different ones to these:

*1.Egg scatterer*
Large amounts of eggs are produced which means more of them are likely to survive. When the fry hatch they are fully independent which means they can find their own food and have a chance at avoiding predators. The eggs are very small which means they are easy prey for other fish. The fry that hatch are very small which makes them vulnerable to predators.

*2.Mouth brooder*
The eggs and fry are well protected by their parent. They are safe from predators. The fish caring for the fry may become weak or ill because they cannot feed properly themselves.

*3.Live bearer*
The fry are able to swim quite fast which gives them a chance against predators. They can look after themselves, being able to hide in small places and find their own food. The fry are very small and if they are not fast enough they make easy prey for predators.

*Bubble nest builder*
The eggs are well cared for by the male, they are well protected and all the eggs are highly likely to survive. Some eggs may be eaten by the female if the male does not move them into the nest quick enough. Once the eggs hatch into fry they are no longer protected by a parent, which makes them vulnerable.

Advantages in green. Disadvantages in red.

So has anyone got anything to add to what I already have?


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## igmillichip

To add to the above (and some bits are the same as haplohippos)...

If we named specific fish, then it would be much easier.

The advantages and disadvantages would be implied (but we don’t really know the plan of nature) to evolve around a balance of energy and resource input versus number of viable and variable offspring.
(ie the basis of evolution)

Egg scattering……

Advanatge: Egg for egg requires less energy and resources spent in producing eggs and tending young; more young to exploit whatever resources are available (environments and food); greater chance of variability.

Disadvantage is no parental care and more vulnerable to predation, fry are smaller and therefore are free-swimming in a less advanced state; fry may require specialised ‘first food’ in the wild.

But….if you take egg-layers that tend eggs (eg discus, angels and other substrate spawning cichlids) then they do put a lot of effort and energy into tending the eggs and young.

The others strategies have similar advantages and disadvantages in that the fish put more emphasis into expending energy at the expense of fewer offspring (= putting all eggs in one basket).

Live-bearers….

Advatanges are that free-swimming fish are fully formed fish with a greater chance of an individual surviving. Able to exploit a greater food range.

Disadvantage….energy expensive; resources sapped from female; very few fry per batch; reduced potential for variability in the young. There is often very little parental aftercare.

Mouth-Brooding….

This is really just one step further than egg-caring fish.

Advantage is that free-swimming fish are released as full fish. 
Great protection of eggs and young in mouth. Many mouthbrooders are quite aggressive and capable of defending the free swimming fish. Roles between male and female could be shared (but not always). Often have some, or even extended, parental aftercare of young fish (depending upon species).

Disadvanatge…..fewer offspring (and less variability); energy expensive on parents. Limited number of batches possible within, say, a year. 

Bubblenest Builders.

There is a cross-over between some bubblenest builders and mouth builders. Some fish may be bubblenest builders and mouth brooders.
Bubblenest builders have a very mixed advantage and disadvantage depending upon species.

Advantages…..there is some parental care. Spawning is also quite an elaborate affair, thus enforcing evolutionary mate selection pressures. Many produce a large number of small eggs (but some produce very limited numbers). Usually, there is some parental aftercare of young fish.

Disadvantaged….eggs and newly hatch fish very vulnerable to being gobbled up in one go (and easily attacked from the top). The fry are often quite small and not fully formed. Delicate balance of oxygen/humidity requirements. 

I think that the bubblenest builders are possibly the most difficult to come up with a list of advantages and disadvantages….especially when we look at the wide range of fish that build bubblenests (from catfish through to some gourami through to some species of Betta, and even some primitive fish).

ian


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## Snizard93

igmillichip said:


> To add to the above (and some bits are the same as haplohippos)...
> 
> If we named specific fish, then it would be much easier.
> 
> The advantages and disadvantages would be implied (but we don’t really know the plan of nature) to evolve around a balance of energy and resource input versus number of viable and variable offspring.
> (ie the basis of evolution)
> 
> Egg scattering……
> 
> Advanatge: Egg for egg requires less energy and resources spent in producing eggs and tending young; more young to exploit whatever resources are available (environments and food); greater chance of variability.
> 
> Disadvantage is no parental care and more vulnerable to predation, fry are smaller and therefore are free-swimming in a less advanced state; fry may require specialised ‘first food’ in the wild.
> 
> But….if you take egg-layers that tend eggs (eg discus, angels and other substrate spawning cichlids) then they do put a lot of effort and energy into tending the eggs and young.
> 
> The others strategies have similar advantages and disadvantages in that the fish put more emphasis into expending energy at the expense of fewer offspring (= putting all eggs in one basket).
> 
> Live-bearers….
> 
> Advatanges are that free-swimming fish are fully formed fish with a greater chance of an individual surviving. Able to exploit a greater food range.
> 
> Disadvantage….energy expensive; resources sapped from female; very few fry per batch; reduced potential for variability in the young. There is often very little parental aftercare.
> 
> Mouth-Brooding….
> 
> This is really just one step further than egg-caring fish.
> 
> Advantage is that free-swimming fish are released as full fish.
> Great protection of eggs and young in mouth. Many mouthbrooders are quite aggressive and capable of defending the free swimming fish. Roles between male and female could be shared (but not always). Often have some, or even extended, parental aftercare of young fish (depending upon species).
> 
> Disadvanatge…..fewer offspring (and less variability); energy expensive on parents. Limited number of batches possible within, say, a year.
> 
> Bubblenest Builders.
> 
> There is a cross-over between some bubblenest builders and mouth builders. Some fish may be bubblenest builders and mouth brooders.
> Bubblenest builders have a very mixed advantage and disadvantage depending upon species.
> 
> Advantages…..there is some parental care. Spawning is also quite an elaborate affair, thus enforcing evolutionary mate selection pressures. Many produce a large number of small eggs (but some produce very limited numbers). Usually, there is some parental aftercare of young fish.
> 
> Disadvantaged….eggs and newly hatch fish very vulnerable to being gobbled up in one go (and easily attacked from the top). The fry are often quite small and not fully formed. Delicate balance of oxygen/humidity requirements.
> 
> I think that the bubblenest builders are possibly the most difficult to come up with a list of advantages and disadvantages….especially when we look at the wide range of fish that build bubblenests (from catfish through to some gourami through to some species of Betta, and even some primitive fish).
> 
> ian


Thanks for the help, I will see if I can incorporate that into my work. Sorry that I cannot give specific species, it's just the way my assignment is.


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## Jack the kipper

Livebearers have the most evolutionary advanced reproductive systems IMHO. They'll be all over the globe in a few millions years from now.

Sorry, i don't have anything to add, i just wanted to say that.:whistling2:


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## igmillichip

@Snizard.....you could always plonk a few real examples into your essay to give a real feel rather than just hypothetical.

In livebearers you could even bring in Anableps...... who need to hunt down a left or right handed mate as a small 'fact' (a bit mad, but it is a strategy of sorts).

In nestbuilders/mouthbrooders you could mention fish such as some Betta being able to change from mouthbrooders to bubblenest builders.
Or mention the gouramies....where you have a mix of bubblenest and mouthbrooders (and in some species where you find only males brooding the eggs, and in other species only females brood the eggs).

ian


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## Snizard93

igmillichip said:


> @Snizard.....you could always plonk a few real examples into your essay to give a real feel rather than just hypothetical.
> 
> In livebearers you could even bring in Anableps...... who need to hunt down a left or right handed mate as a small 'fact' (a bit mad, but it is a strategy of sorts).
> 
> In nestbuilders/mouthbrooders you could mention fish such as some Betta being able to change from mouthbrooders to bubblenest builders.
> Or mention the gouramies....where you have a mix of bubblenest and mouthbrooders (and in some species where you find only males brooding the eggs, and in other species only females brood the eggs).
> 
> ian


I would have done this but I am being asked for a table. Three columns. In the first column the type of strategy, the second with the advantages and the third with the disadvantages. I wish it was an essay, I am better at those :2thumb: I will still try and add it in. Thanks ian.


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## Milliey02

*Breeding Strategies*

:2thumb: hi im doing exact same course as the first person who posted on this.
I also need to know the advantages and disadvantages of 3 Breeding strategies of fish these are:
- ovoviparous
- viviparous
- oviparous
can anyone help rather stuck!!!!!!


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## Mynki

Milliey02 said:


> can anyone help


 
Yeah, read the course materials supplied with your course...


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## Milliey02

Mynki said:


> Yeah, read the course materials supplied with your course...


:lol2: haha very funny need help on them now anyones help would be nice its advantages and disadvantages of the breeding strategies x


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## Spritehight

Snizard93 said:


> Hey there, kind of a random one but here goes... :whistling2:
> 
> What are the advantages and disadvantages of the following breeding strategies?
> 
> 1. Egg scatterer
> 2. Live bearer
> 3. Mouth brooder
> 4. Bubble nest builder
> 
> Thanks :no1:


Our Cat fish (Albino) just hatched five. I guess it was the fact that they hid the eggs so well. We have two tanks and both have naturally had tiny swimming dots. :whistling2:


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## Mynki

Milliey02 said:


> :lol2: haha very funny need help on them now anyones help would be nice its advantages and disadvantages of the breeding strategies x


What course are you and the OP doing?


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