Seasonal changes in reproductive anatomy and gonadal hormone concentrations of African penguins (Spheniscus demersus)

Mafunda, Patrick Siyambulela; Maree, Liana; Ganswindt, André; Kotzé, Antoinette; Horst, Gerhard van van der

doi:10.1016/j.anireprosci.2020.106664

Cited by 6 publications

(6 citation statements)

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“…In the penguin, as in previous reports on birds and penguins [7,10], only the left ovary was developed, while the right ovary showed remnants of the oviduct. Follicle size in adult female African penguins during the breeding season, the follicle size ranged from 1.18 to 4.25 mm [10].…”

supporting

confidence: 79%

“…In birds, only the left ovary is usually functional [ 7 ]. Penguins are large flightless birds, and in the case of the African penguin ( Spheniscus demersus ), a member of the Spheniscus family as well as the Humboldt penguin, it has been reported that, like other birds, only the left ovary is developed [ 10 ]. To our knowledge, only one case of ovarian or oviduct torsion has been reported in avian species, specifically in an ostrich [ 17 ], and the cases of penguins with this condition have not been previously documented.…”

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confidence: 99%

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The first report of ovarian torsion causing intracoelomic hemorrhage and subsequent hemorrhagic shock in a captive Humboldt penguin (<i>Spheniscus humboldti</i>)

SHIRAKATA,

KONDO

2024

The Journal of Veterinary Medical Science

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confidence: 79%

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confidence: 99%

The first report of ovarian torsion causing intracoelomic hemorrhage and subsequent hemorrhagic shock in a captive Humboldt penguin (<i>Spheniscus humboldti</i>)

SHIRAKATA,

KONDO

2024

The Journal of Veterinary Medical Science

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“…The information on potential previous breeding for birds that arrived at Zoo Wrocław as adults was lacking, preventing a comprehensive analysis of the age of first breeding in our captive colony and comparison with the wild population, where it averages at around 4 years old 37 , 38 . However, observations from birds hatched at Zoo Wrocław revealed that captive individuals as young as 1.5 years old attempted breeding.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Breeding behavior analysis in a large captive colony of African penguins (Spheniscus demersus) and its implications for population management and conservation

Borecki,

Rosenberger,

Mucha

et al. 2024

Sci Rep

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The African penguin Spheniscus demersus, frequently housed in zoos, holds potential for future reintroduction efforts due to its declining wild population. This paper aims to explore various aspects of reproductive performance in African penguins within a large ex situ colony at Zoo Wrocław in Poland, covering 9 years of breeding behaviors. The analysis reveals parallels in colony growth and partner change patterns with those observed in the wild. Positive correlations were found between breeding success and pair-bond duration, with the increasing colony size influencing reproductive performance. Contrary to their wild counterparts, captive African penguins initiate breeding attempt and produce a fertilized egg at a younger age. However, successful breeding still requires gaining experience or forming pairs with more experienced partners. Our research indicates that providing captive African penguins with unlimited food resources and sufficient nesting space results in rapid colony growth. The increased colony size facilitates breeding behaviors that positively influence population dynamics, particularly through the maintenance of long-term pair bond relationships and the potential for partner changes when necessary or desirable to enhance breeding success. We present compelling case studies in pair fidelity, offering valuable insights and implications for the management of captive populations and conservation efforts.

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“…Coupled with the relatively favorable environmental conditions from the secondary peak in marine productivity, this would point to ABA as an actual breeding attempt. Multiple breeding seasons within a single year are known in African penguins (Crawford et al., 1999) and appear to be associated with a variable pattern of gonadal regression (Mafunda et al., 2021). The gonadal hormones and development/regression patterns of little penguins are unknown, but our results suggest that a similar situation might occur in this species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Making the most of the old age: Autumn breeding as an extra reproductive investment in older seabirds

Ramírez¹,

Chiaradia

O'Leary

et al. 2021

Ecology and Evolution

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Life-history theory describes the fundamental trade-offs animals must make in allocating limited energetic resources to competing for life-history functions, particularly reproductive investment and self-survival (Stearns, 1992). The relative importance of these two competing needs in maximizing an individual's overall fitness will determine whether the animal should invest more resources into the current breeding effort, or store energy for survival and future reproductive potential (Erikstad et al., 1998;Reed et al., 2008).Driven by this trade-off, the course of evolution has resulted in a myriad of life-history strategies across the tree of life (Capdevila & Salguero-Gomez, 2019). Short-lived species generally display characteristics of fast-strategists (formerly r-strategies), such as early maturation and a high reproductive effort to maximize the number of offspring produced in each attempt (Nichols et al., 1976), while long-lived species are typically expected to be slow strategists

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Seasonal changes in reproductive anatomy and gonadal hormone concentrations of African penguins (Spheniscus demersus)

Cited by 6 publications

References 42 publications

The first report of ovarian torsion causing intracoelomic hemorrhage and subsequent hemorrhagic shock in a captive Humboldt penguin (<i>Spheniscus humboldti</i>)

The first report of ovarian torsion causing intracoelomic hemorrhage and subsequent hemorrhagic shock in a captive Humboldt penguin (<i>Spheniscus humboldti</i>)

Breeding behavior analysis in a large captive colony of African penguins (Spheniscus demersus) and its implications for population management and conservation

Making the most of the old age: Autumn breeding as an extra reproductive investment in older seabirds

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