FishReproduction
Fish Reproduction
In terms of underwater species, there is generally less information about their reproductive systems than many other terrestrial animals due to the fact that they are more difficult to research and observe. Although there may be less information, common fish reproduction mating systems have been observed that range from monogamous and polygamous systems all the way to hermaphroditism. Oftentimes, it is difficult to label mating patterns of fish and many fish species fall within a continuum of mating systems dependent upon the current environmental conditions. Within these reproductive systems, subcategories of behavior can be readily distinguished between fish species. Though monogamy is rarely broken down farther, polygamy can be divided into subcategories of polygyny, polyandry, and polygyandry, which can also be further explained by unique patterns of fish behavior. Like the other fish reproductive systems, hermaphroditism can also be broken down further into subgroups that include sequential hermaphroditism and simultaneous hermaphroditism as well as protogyny and protandry.