Meeting Abstract
Although fishes by nature are aquatic, many species reproduce in such a way that their embryos are exposed to air either occasionally or constantly during incubation. This study examines the ecological context and specific examples of reproduction by fishes at the air-water interface, including fishes that breathe air and those that do not. At least six types of oviposition at the air-water interface are described, with examples across taxa of teleost and some primitive species from fresh water, estuaries and sea water, with pelagic or demersal eggs. Parental care and consequences for the spawning adults and embryos are considered. The widespread, variable nature of this phenomenon across a broad taxonomic spectrum indicates repeated independent evolutionary events and strong selection pressure for fishes to protect their propagules from hypoxic waters, aquatic predation, or other pressures.
