The role of mounds in promoting water-exchange in the egg-tending burrows of monogamous goby, Valenciennea longipinnis (Lay et Bennett).

Valenciennea longipinnis spawns monogamously in a burrow. After spawning, the paired female constructs a conspicuous mound on the burrow by carrying and piling up substratum-derived materials while the male tends eggs in the burrow until hatching occurs. In this study, the mounds of V. longipinnis were tested in the field to confirm their function of promoting water-exchange in the burrow, and their ecological role was examined in relation to egg care by the male. The mound of V.longipinnis promoted water-exchange in the burrow, contributing to the provision of external oxygenated sea water into the burrow. Therefore, dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations in the burrow with a mound were significantly higher than those without a mound. Although male egg-tending behaviour (e.g., fanning) may also promote water-exchange in the burrow, the water-exchange appeared to depend mainly on the hydrodynamic effect. Removals of the mound and paired female on the day of spawning led to high rates of egg-desertion by males. Since the frequency and time of fanning increase with a decrease of DO concentration in the burrow, the egg-desertion may result from an increased parental cost to males due to the decrease of water-exchange without a mound. This was supported by the fact that the DO concentrations on the day after mound removal were significantly lower in the egg-deserted burrows (measured before desertions) than in burrows not deserted by the male. Moreover, removals of paired females only also led to higher desertion rates. After removal of the female, the mound gradually collapsed by wave action and other factors, and the surface of the mound was covered with planktonic materials. Such a mound of poor quality may provide little water-exchange, which may lead to the egg-desertion by males. These results indicated that mound maintenance by females during the egg-tending period has an important role in the success of parental care by males.