Mouthbrooder

Quick meaning: Mouthbrooder is a noun meaning (zoology) Any animal that cares for its offspring, either eggs or juveniles, by holding them in its mouth for extended periods of time.

Meaning

(zoology) Any animal that cares for its offspring, either eggs or juveniles, by holding them in its mouth for extended periods of time.

Example Sentences

Mozambique mouthbrooders are native to coastal streams of southeast Africa, especially the Zambesi River, Mozambique.

The cardinalfishes are interesting in their reproductive biology. They are mouthbrooders, in that the eggs are held, usually in the mouth of the male, until hatching; this is one of the only marine fish families to reproduce in this way.

The very small Tanganicodus irsacae is a typical biparental mouthbrooder that collects eggs immediately upon deposition and retains them in the buccal cavity for about 14 days at which time fully formed young 11mm long are released and begin oral feeding.

[A]lmost all mouthbrooding species are found in Africa, and many are restricted to one of the African Great Lakes. Among the few exceptions are Sarotherodon melanotheron, a paternal mouthbrooder which is widely distributed in West African rivers and estuaries, and S. galilaeus, a biparental mouthbrooder with an even broader distribution across North-central Africa [...].

Word Forms

• mouthbrooders

Synonyms for mouthbrooder

Depending on context, synonyms include mouthbreeder.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include mouthbreeder, incubatorium, suckler, aunting, incubatee, pouch.

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