New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research abstracts

---

Short communication Egg cannibalism by inanga (Galaxias maculatus)

Richard Allibone*

National Institute of Water and Atmospheric
 Research Limited
P.O. Box 11 115
Hamilton, New Zealand

*Present address: Biodiversity Recovery Unit,
Department of Conservation,
P.O. Box 10 420, Wellington, New Zealand.
email: rallibone@doc.govt.nz

Abstract  Egg cannibalism by inanga (Galaxias maculatus) was found to occur immediately after spawning. Spent and immature inanga from a school of 335 fish consumed between 0 and 51 eggs each. As inanga spawning sites are high on the river bank and only accessible on high spring tides, further opportunities for egg predation are limited to when the eggs are re-submerged at hatching on the next suitable spring tides. It is unclear whether the cannibalism observed represents a reduction in short-term reproductive fitness without providing long-term gains.

Keywords  Galaxiidae; spawning; predation; Galaxias maculatus; egg mortality

M03031 Received 20 June 2003; accepted 23 September 2003; Online publication date 31 October 2003
New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 2003, Vol. 37: 763-765
0028-8330/03/3704-0763 $7.00 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2003

PDF file of entire paper: Print-quality (48K) | screen-quality (28K)

---

This year's abstracts | Journal home page | All abstracts | Publishing home page