title: Territoriality in the tompot blenny Parablennius gattorugine from photographic records.
abstract: The behaviour of the tompot blenny Parablennius gattorugine was studied from a long-term underwater photographic record from two sites on the south-west coast of the U.K. Repeated observations of individually identifiable P. gattorugine during 112 dives revealed that male P. gattorugine may guard eggs in a particular crevice over subsequent breeding seasons, reside in the same location for up to 4 years and recover from injuries received in disputes over territory. Further observations included resident males wiping eggs with greatly expanded anal glands, adult-type fighting between juveniles and unusual behaviour where a large male manipulated an empty mollusc shell for the attention of two smaller conspecifics.
authors.affiliation: 35 Hawthorn Park Road, Wembury, PL9 0DA, U.K.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Naylor
authors.affiliation: Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4RY, U.K.
authors.forename: D M P
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Jacoby
mesh_terms: D000374:Aggression; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D008297:Male; D010063:Ovum; D010473:Perciformes / Q000502:physiology*; D010781:Photography; D012621:Seasons; D013731:Territoriality; D006113:United Kingdom
keywords: benthic ecology; competition; observations; reproductive behaviours