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  • This male Laiphognathus multimaculatus Spotty Blenny is looking out from his home in the coral reef during breeding season. He is searching for females that are ready to spawn. Normally dull and drab in color, this male had donned a bright yellow, blue and orange pattern for this purpose. When a female approaches, he performs an elaborate, somewhat comical dance to entice her.
    laiphognathus-multimaculatus-spotty-...tif
  • Normally pale in color, this male Laiphognathus multimaculatus Spotty Blenny is displaying the characteristic yellow, blue and orange colors and patterns used to court females during breeding season. When an interested female comes close, he will perform a dance in front of his burrow to entice her to deposit eggs inside.
    laiphognathus-multimaculatus-spotty-...tif
  • This is a male Laiphognathus multimaculatus Spotty Blenny displaying bright yellow, orange and blue colors and patterns used to court females during breeding season. Males perform a dance in front of their burrows. Interested females enter the burrow to deposit eggs.
    laiphognathus-multimaculatus-spotty-...tif
  • Normally pale in color, this male Laiphognathus multimaculatus Spotty Blenny is displaying the bright colors and patterns used to court females during breeding season. Adopting this characteristic yellow, blue and orange pattern, males perform a dance in front of their burrows. Interested females enter the burrow to deposit eggs.
    laiphognathus-multimaculatus-spotty-...tif
  • Normally pale in color, this male Laiphognathus multimaculatus Spotty Blenny is displaying the bright colors and patterns used to court females during breeding season. Adopting this characteristic yellow, blue and orange pattern, males perform a dance in front of their burrows. Interested females enter the burrow to deposit eggs.
    laiphognathus-multimaculatus-spotty-...tif
  • This is a male Salarias luctuosus combtooth blenny, a species that is found in shallow waters throughout a limited range in Japan, from Wakayama prefecture down through the Ryukyu islands. This male is displaying breeding coloration. It was competing with another male to attract the attention of a nearby female.
    salarias-luctuosus-combtooth-blenny-...tif
  • Pictured here is a pair of spotty blennies (Laiphognathus multimaculatus) engaged in spawning. When a female has finished depositing eggs, as pictured here, the male wants her to leave immediately. He hovers, prods, even strikes the female to force her out. He then takes responsibility for the eggs, but also continues to court other females in order to spawn again.
    laiphognathus-multimaculatus-spotty-...tif
  • This is what a male spotty goby (Laiphognathus multimaculatus) looks like during spawning. The female is inside the burrow depositing eggs. The male had lowered himself partially into the burrow to fertilize the eggs. The male's fins flare and his movements are agitated during this process.
    laiphognathus-multimaculatus-spotty-...tif
  • These spotty blennies (Laiphognathus multimaculatus) have just finished spawning. The female has emerged from the male's burrow after depositing all of her eggs. At this juncture, the male was attempting to kick the female out by hovering, prodding and even hitting her. The sooner he could force her to depart, the sooner the male could court other females and spawn again.
    laiphognathus-multimaculatus-spotty-...tif
  • Pictured here is a pair of spotty blennies (Laiphognathus multimaculatus) engaged in spawning. Poking out from the burrow is the female. She has just deposited eggs inside. The male then lowers himself into the burrow to fertilize the eggs. This process repeats several times, after which the female departs abruptly. The male is tasked with caring for the eggs and launching them into the world when they are ready.
    laiphognathus-multimaculatus-spotty-...tif
  • Pictured here is a pair of red-spotted blennies (Blenniella chrysospilos) that have just finished spawning. After attracting the female (foreground) to his burrow, the male moves to another hole while the female deposits eggs. He visits multiple times to fertilize while she does this. This is the spit-second just before the female departs and the male takes over to brood the eggs. The male's dark hue is breeding coloration.
    blenniella-chrysospilos-red-spotted-...tif
  • Known as koke-ginpo in Japanese, this chaenopsid blenny is a male Neoclinus bryope. This dark coloration with the bright blue dorsal fin spot is indicative of the winter breeding season in this area, where he and other males shake, shimmy and perform to attract the attention of females. Photographed at a magnification of two times life-size.
    neoclinus-bryope-blenny-male-reprodu...tif
  • This is a male spotty goby (Laiphognathus multimaculatus) sending one of his babies into the world. Females of this species deposit eggs into the burrows of males, which fertilize and care for the developing young. When juveniles are mature, the males take the young fish into their mouths, dart out of their burrows and spit the babies into the water, sometimes one at a time, sometimes several at once. The action is rapid, the direction and timing of launching babies unpredictable. When the males send the babies out like this, their bodies usually lose the bright coloration of breeding season, becoming relatively drab, though not quite as dull as normal.
    laiphognathus-multimaculatus-spotty-...tif
  • This is a male spotty goby (Laiphognathus multimaculatus) sending babies into the world. Females of this species deposit eggs into the burrows of males, which fertilize and care for the developing young. When juveniles are mature, the males take the young fish into their mouths, dart out of their burrows and spit the babies into the water, sometimes one at a time, sometimes several at once. The action is rapid, the direction and timing of launching babies unpredictable. When the males send the babies out like this, their bodies usually lose the bright coloration of breeding season, becoming relatively drab, though not quite as dull as normal.
    laiphognathus-multimaculatus-spotty-...tif
  • This is a male fat greenling (Hexagrammos otakii) protecting eggs. The eggs comprise several clutches from a number of females. During the autumn to winter breeding season, mature males like this one establish territories and adopt a brilliant yellow-orange coloration. The males court passing females, which can choose to spawn with or to ignore a given male.
    hexagrammos-otakii-fat-greenling-mal...tif
  • These are two mature male Asian sheepshead wrasses (Semicossyphus reticulatus) fighting over territory during the breeding season. During this season, the mature males take on a whitish coloration, particularly when they are approaching female wrasses and when they engage in territorial disputes with other males. The male on the left in this image is Yamato, the dominant male in this area. He is the successor to Benkei, the previous dominant male. When Benkei died, Yamato took over. Wrasses are protogynous hermaphrodites, meaning that all individuals start life as females, then eventually turn into males.
    asian-sheepshead-wrass-males-fightin...tif
  • These are two mature male Asian sheepshead wrasses (Semicossyphus reticulatus) fighting over territory during the breeding season. During this season, the mature males take on a whitish coloration, particularly when they are approaching female wrasses and when they engage in territorial disputes with other males. The male on the left in this image is Yamato, the dominant male in this area. He is the successor to Benkei. Wrasses are protogynous hermaphrodites, meaning that all individuals start life as females, then eventually turn into males. This image is licensed on an exclusive basis to BBC through 29 October 2021.
    asian-sheepshead-wrasse-males-fighti...tif
  • This is a male fat greenling (Hexagrammos otakii) tending to eggs. The eggs comprise several clutches from a number of females. During the autumn to winter breeding season, mature males like this one establish territories and adopt a brilliant yellow-orange coloration. The males court passing females, which can choose to spawn with or to ignore a given male.
    hexagrammos-otakii-fat-greenling-mal...tif
  • These are two mature male Asian sheepshead wrasses (Semicossyphus reticulatus) fighting over territory during the breeding season. There is a female swimming away from the males in the lower left corner of the frame. During this season, the mature males take on a whitish coloration, particularly when they are approaching female wrasses and when they engage in territorial disputes with other males. The male on the left in this image is Yamato, the dominant male in this area. He is the successor to Benkei. Wrasses are protogynous hermaphrodites, meaning that all individuals start life as females, then eventually turn into males.
    asian-sheepshead-wrasse-males-fighti...tif
  • This is a mature male Asian sheepshead wrasse (Semicossyphus reticulatus) approaching two smaller female wrasses during the courtship season. Note that the bellies of the females are swollen with eggs, indicative of receptivity for spawning. The male takes on this pastel coloration for breeding and territorial competition with other males.
    semicossyphus-reticulatus-courtship-...tif
  • This is a mature male Asian sheepshead wrasse (Semicossyphus reticulatus). The fish has taken on whitish coloration for the breeding season. During this season, the male mates with multiple females, and defends his terrority against other males. Wrasses are protogynous hermaphrodites, so this male, like all other males of this species, started life as a female. At 100% magnification parasites attached to the fish’s face are visible.
    asian-sheepshead-wrasse-semicossyphu...tif
  • This is a male fat greenling (Hexagrammos otakii) protecting eggs. The eggs comprise several clutches from a number of females. During the autumn to winter breeding season, mature males like this one establish territories and adopt a brilliant yellow-orange coloration. The males court passing females, which can choose to spawn with or to ignore a given male.
    hexagrammos-otakii-fat-greenling-mal...tif
  • This is a male fat greenling (Hexagrammos otakii) tending to eggs. The eggs comprise several clutches from a number of females.  During the autumn to winter breeding season, mature males like this one establish territories and adopt a brilliant yellow-orange coloration. The males court passing females, which can choose to spawn with or to ignore a given male.
    hexagrammos-otakii-fat-greenling-mal...tif
  • Pictured here is a mature male Asian sheepshead wrasse (Semicossyphus reticulatus) courting a smaller female wrasse. Note that the female’s belly is swollen with eggs, indicative of her receptivity for spawning. The male takes on this white coloration for breeding and territorial competition with other males.
    semicossyphus-reticulatus-courtship-...tif
  • This is a mature male Asian sheepshead wrasse (Semicossyphus reticulatus). The fish has taken on whitish pastel coloration for the breeding season. During this season, the male mates with multiple females, and defends his terrority against other males. Wrasses are protogynous hermaphrodites, so this male, like all other males of this species, started life as a female.
    asian-sheepshead-wrasse-semicossyphu...tif
  • This is a mature male Asian sheepshead wrasse (Semicossyphus reticulatus). The fish has taken on whitish coloration for the breeding season. During this season, the male mates with multiple females, and defends his terrority against other males. Wrasses are protogynous hermaphrodites, so this male, like all other males of this species, started life as a female.
    asian-sheepshead-wrasse-semicossyphu...tif
  • This is a male fat greenling (Hexagrammos otakii) opening his mouth, which is a behavior that many fish exhibit. This individual was watching over several clutches of developing eggs, which were situated behind the fish and thus obscured from view in this image. The brilliant yellow-orange hue is indicative of breeding season. These fish are normally drab in color.
    hexagrammos-otakii-fat-greenling-pro...tif
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