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How do egglike spots on male Haplochromis cichlids help fertilize eggs?
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mimicry
Heliconius butterflies demonstrating Müllerian mimicry, a form of mimicry where one or more species exhibit closely similar warning systems. In this case, wing patterning and coloration among the species appear very similar.
In the African mouth-breeding cichlid fish of the genus Haplochromis, the egglike spots on the male's anal fin serve as a form of mimicry to facilitate fertilization.1
Because the female immediately collects her eggs into her mouth after laying them—often before the male can fertilize them—the male uses these conspicuous yellow or orange spots to deceive her. During the spawning process, the male displays these spots while releasing sperm. The female, motivated to pick up what she perceives to be stray eggs, attempts to collect the spots in her mouth. In doing so, she takes in the sperm released by the male, which then fertilizes the eggs already held within her mouth.1