How fish reproduce

Marine life is fascinating and mating is part of the natural process of reproduction in fish. However, it is a different, diverse and very interesting process that is done externally or internally, usually with eggs, although this is not always the case.

If you like the marine world you will surely want to know how the fish reproduce, that's why we explain it to you in addition to giving you other curious information to nourish your intellect and that you know much more about these beings of the sea.

According to the typology

The fish can be oviparous, viviparous and ovoviviparous, this means that they can have offspring through eggs and even give birth to already developed fish.

The mating of the fish is done extensively, although there are males and females, they are not easily distinguishable because they do not have an external organ that identifies them. There are many factors that influence the reproduction cycle of fish such as food, light, season or temperatures, studies show that the higher the temperature, the shorter the incubation period.

  • If they are oviparous, the eggs will navigate through the water along with the male's sperm. Some have higher density and lower to the bottom of the sea, while others are watered by all the water. In any case they can protect their eggs in bubbles until they hatch and others can even keep them in their mouths.
  • The viviparous give birth to fully formed pups, so the incubation process is done internally in an approximate of 400 fish species of this type.
  • The ovoviviparous are similar to the viviparous, their fertilization is done internally by the male gonopodium, which introduces the eggs into the female. The sexes are more easily identifiable since the female is the largest, while the male has more vivid colors. An interesting fact of the ovoviviparous is that the female after its first egg laying, will not need the male to fertilize a second time, since it reserves a little sperm from the previous time.

Hermaphrodite fish

Although there are male or female fish, some fish can be hermaphrodites . This type of fish is very interesting especially when living in aquariums or ponds, since they do not need a fixed sex because they can alternate between male or female at the time of mating. This case is known as simultaneous hermaphroditism .

There is another type of hermaphroditism in which fish are male during the first stage of their life and then become females, this case is called protandric hermaphroditism, and is very common in bass.

When the fish behaves in the beginning of its life as a female and then it is changed to a male, it is called protogénico hermaphroditism .

Migrations in fish

Some fish embark on a migratory adventure for the reproductive process, this can be done alone or as a couple, a few or a few kilometers away and with a ritual that can last several stages to spawn. This type of ritual is common in grouper fish and snapper. According to what species year after year they will look for the ideal place for mating.

When fish are in our aquarium it is important to create the right conditions for them to grow healthy, at the same time it is necessary to identify if any of the specimens are pregnant. When acquiring your fish it is good that you know the way in which they reproduce, in addition in .com we give you some articles that will be able to help you in their upbringing, discover:

  • How to maintain a saltwater fish tank
  • How to make a fish hatchery
  • How to know if my fish is pregnant