Japanese researchers ?uncover monogamy? in fish species

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Monday, 28th November 2011
In General Japan News,

Japanese researchers ?uncover monogamy? in fish species

A group of researchers at Kyoto University’s Graduate School of Science have discovered a monogamous pattern among a rare breed of fish, it has been reported.

The team realised mothers were transferring their young by mouth to male partners that turned out to be their genetic fathers, helping the researchers to come to the conclusion the fish were committed to each other, the Mainichi Daily revealed.

As the fish travel in large schools, the challenge for the scientists was to identify correctly whether the right fish were parents to specific young.

Tetsumi Takahashi, a leader in the research group, suggested a logical reason for why the fish stick to single partners.

He told the news provider: “The species’ behaviour could be caused by the fish’s survival instinct that presumes that the young have better chances of survival if they are raised by their parents.”

The study was published on November 23rd in Biology Letters.

Earlier this month, it was discovered a rare species of bird in the Okinawa prefecture was under threat of extinction due to traffic through its local forestry.

Posted by Mark Smith