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Reproductive Behavior
Lek Mating
Males aggregate at traditional display sites to court females, who select the best-performing partners - a mating system rare in fish but present in Lake Malawi cichlids and some others.
Trigger: Mate Function: Females select mates from concentrated displays
📖 Overview
In lek mating, males cluster in a common arena, each defending a small display territory. Females visit the lek to choose among performers based on colour intensity, dance quality, or territory holding. The strategy focuses female choice and creates intense male-male competition.
🐟 Examples Across Species
Some Aulonocara cichlids in Lake Malawi, some wrasses, certain characiforms.
✨ Fun Fact
Aulonocara peacock cichlid males in Lake Malawi construct sand crater displays in leks. Females visit dozens of craters before selecting one mate.