Large mating aggregations and daily long-distance spawning migrations in the bluehead wrasse, Thalassoma bifasciatum

The mating system of the labrid fish Thalassoma bifasciatum has been extensively described in the literature, and the species has formed the basis for much work in ecology and behavior. However, most work in the past on this species has concentrated in small patch reef habitats. Here I describe a different mating pattern in bluehead wrasses occurring on a large, linear barrier reef in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. On this reef, very large group-mating aggregations (> 10000 fish) form daily at a single area on the forepart of the reef Tagging studies showed that fishes are faithful to particular feeding schools arrayed along the forereef, and that they migrate to the spawning grounds along a specific path from distances more than 1.5 km away. No mating appears to occur in other upcurrent areas of the forereef. One-way migration times averaged 52 min from the farthest site studied, and feeding does not occur en route. Despite large differences in time spent in migration, no significant differences existed in fecundity or frequency of spawning among females living at different distances from the mating aggregation. The only apparent differences was a significantly higher growth rate in the fishes residing farthest from the aggregation. This higher growth rate corresponded to a higher overall feeding rate in the distant location, suggesting that food intake can more than compensate for the increased costs of migration.