Influence of the social status of male Aulonocara nyassae on behavior, growth, hematology, biochemical parameters, reproduction and larviculture

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of social status of Aulonocara nyassae males on behavior, growth and reproductive performance, hematological parameters and male and female biochemicals and the success of offspring larviculture. For the pre-experimental phase, four aquariums with three males each were observed for 48 h and videos of 10 min, twice a day, were recorded and an ethogram was generated on the definition of social status, classified according to aggressive behavior, territorialism and coloration as dominant, subdominant and submissive. The experimental phase lasted 66 days. One male was stocked per aquarium, from each of the three social statuses, with three females and four replicates. The animals were filmed for 10 min, twice a day, for 5 days, every 30 days. An ethogram on the reproductive behavior of males and females was generated. Locomotion was more frequent in subdominant and submissive males and in females with dominant and subdominant males (P < 0.05). Courtship behavior was more frequent in dominant and subdominant males and in females from aquariums with dominant males (P < 0.05). The survival of females with subdominant males was lower (P < 0.05). Final weight (FW), average weight gain (AWG), glucose (GLU), triglycerides (TG), viscerosomatic (VSI) and hepatosomatic (HSI) indices for males; final mean total length (FTL), mean length gain (MLG), hemoglobin (Hb), specific growth rate (SGR), Fulton condition factor (K), total cholesterol (TC), FW, AWG, GLU and for females and for progeny, average of egg production, hatching rate, average of larvae produced, mean final larvae weight and mean final larvae length were higher for dominants. In males, SGR and FTL, in females, total plasma protein (TPP), gonadosomatic index (GSI), intraperitoneal fat index (IPFI), TG, HSI and VSI were higher for submissive (P < 0.05). However, the mean length gain (MLG), GSI and IPFI, Hb and TPP were higher for subdominant and submissive males (P < 0.05). K was higher for dominant and submissive males (P < 0.05). Therefore, the social status of males influences growth performance, hematological, biochemical parameters and reproductive capacity of males and females of A. nyassae.

Automated summary

The present study examined the influence of social status on the behavior, growth, reproductive performance, hematological parameters, and biochemicals of male Aulonocara nyassae. The results showed that social status significantly impacted the behavior, growth, hematological parameters, and reproductive capacity of both male and female A. nyassae.