Parental care in fish

Parental care in fish consists of behaviors that protect or tend eggs and offspring, including guarding, nest building, carrying, and provisioning.

Nest building: The construction of a structure that provides a site or shelter for reproduction. Sticklebacks and other fish build nests where eggs can be laid and guarded.
External fertilization: The fusion of sperm and egg outside the bodies of the parents. Many fish release gametes into water, leaving eggs exposed to environmental risks.
Paternal care: Care of eggs or offspring provided by a father. Male care is common in many fish, including nest-guarding sticklebacks.
Three-spined stickleback: A small coastal fish whose males build nests, court females, and guard eggs. Its male courtship and nest defense are classic examples of paternal care.
Offspring survival: The probability that young survive through a defined stage of development. Protection and tending can increase the chance that eggs hatch and young survive.
Mouthbrooding: The incubation of eggs or sheltering of young inside a parent's mouth. Some fish protect developing offspring by carrying them in the mouth.
Internal fertilization: The fusion of sperm and egg within a parent's body. Live-bearing fish can protect embryos internally rather than guard external eggs.
Maternal care: Care of eggs or offspring provided by a mother. Female mouthbrooding and embryo carrying provide clear forms of maternal care.
Seahorse: A marine fish in the family Syngnathidae, in which males carry developing embryos in a brood pouch. Male pregnancy makes seahorses a distinctive case of paternal care.
Sex-role reversal: A pattern in which typical mating or parental roles are reversed between sexes. When males provide care, female competition for mates can become stronger.

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