| Main Ref. | Trewavas, E., 1983 |
| Mode | dioecism |
| Fertilization | in mouth |
| Mating type | |
| Spawning frequency | throughout the year, but peaking once |
| Spawning aggregation | Ref. |
| Batch spawner | Ref. |
| Reproductive guild |
bearers external brooders |
| Parental Care | |
| Description of life cycle and mating behavior | Breeds over shallow muddy bottoms in sheltered inlets and in the papyrus fringe (Ref. 56123). Ripe males are found near the bottom over particular nesting areas (Ref. 39939). Males establish territory and make a nest by mouth-digging (Ref. 2), actively preventing invasion by other fishes (Ref. 39939). Nests made in shallow water, 15-300cm deep (Ref. 2, 56123), 16-20cm in diameter and 1-4m apart, dug in coarse leaf-debris or on shallow muddy bottoms (Ref. 2, 39939). Brooding females from the lagoons are found in pools adjacent to the lagoons/nursery swamps (Ref. 2, 39939). Fry spent their early days in shallow, grassy (Ref. 2, 32297, 39939) and deoxygenated swamps (Ref. 56123), but move to deeper water as their length increases (Ref. 32297, 39939). |
| Search for more references on reproduction | Scirus |