| Main Ref. | Carpenter, K.E. and G.R. Allen, 1989 |
| Mode | dioecism |
| Fertilization | external |
| Mating type | monogamy: |
| Spawning frequency | throughout the year, but peaking once |
| Spawning aggregation | Yes. Ref. SCRFA, Science and Conservation of Fish Aggregations, 2018 |
| Batch spawner | Ref. |
| Reproductive guild |
nonguarders open water/substratum egg scatterers |
| Parental Care | none |
| Description of life cycle and mating behavior | The reproductive nature of spangled emperors is uncertain,. Though they also may be protogynous hermaphrodites (Ref. 27260), a study on the Great Barrier Reef (Ref. 27264) found no clear evidence of sex change in spangled emperors within the size range 17-54 cm (Ref. 6390). Gonochorism is inferred for this species as sizes of males and females overlapped and male gonad morphology is typical of secondarily derived testes (Ref. 103751). Recent study classified juvenile hermaphroditism for this species wherein transition from ovary to testis occurs before ovarian maturation, hence, no true sex-reversal is observed (Ref. 107020). In the aquarium, pursuit of a female with a slightly swollen abdomen by a male signifies the start of mating. The male uses its mouth to bump and push the female's abdomen. Then eggs and sperm are released at the water surface (Ref. 58706). |
| Search for more references on reproduction | Scirus |