What are mouthbrooders?

Mouthbrooders are fish or amphibians that take the fertilised eggs or hatched young into their mouths to protect them from predators.

There are two types of mouthbrooders: ovophilic and larvophilic. In ovophilic mouthbrooders, the "egg-loving" fish, the caring parent takes the eggs into its mouth during courtship. In contrast, larvophilic fish, the "larva-loving" fish, only take the hatched larvae into their mouths for brood care.

A distinction is also made as to which parent animal is responsible for caring for the fry. In the maternal care system it is the female, whereas in the paternal care system it is the male. If both parents are involved in brood care, this is referred to as biparental brood care.