Mating System, Resource Defence and Sex Change in the Anemonefish Amphiprion akallopisos

Aldabra Atoll's Amphiprion akallopisos anemonefish exhibits a unique mating system characterized by monogamy, even within large groups of up to nine adults. This species, inhabiting colonial Radianthus ritteri anemones, maintains a size-dependent aggressive hierarchy where the breeding male monopolizes mating with the female, who is a former male that has changed sex. Unlike its Red Sea counterpart, Amphiprion bicinctus, which occupies solitary-living anemones, A. akallopisos demonstrates complex social dynamics including resource defense and potential helper behavior among non-breeding males. The study compares these behaviors with Emlen and Oring's theories on mating systems, suggesting that non-breeding males may enhance their reproductive success by waiting for breeding positions.

Fricke, H. W. (2010). Mating System, Resource Defence and Sex Change in the Anemonefish Amphiprion akallopisos. Zeitschrift Für Tierpsychologie, 50(3), 313–326. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0310.1979.tb01034.x