The Role of Cannibalism in the Reproductive Ecology of the Threespine Stickleback

This essay describes the role of cannibalism in the reproductive ecology of the threespine stickleback. I describe the various types of cannibalism and discuss how cannibalism has influenced the evolution of male and female reproductive tactics. Differences in the patterns of cannibalism between the sexes, among populations, and between closely related species of sticklebacks are also discussed. Special attention is paid to filial cannibalism and its possible adaptive significance. I also examine the various tactics sticklebacks use to minimize cannibalism as well as the possible consequences of cannibalism for their population dynamics. Because cannibalism occurs in many other animals, I attempt to indicate how the findings of studies of cannibalism in sticklebacks relate to the reproductive ecology of other species.