Understanding how global stressors affect fish reproductive behavior is crucial for predicting species resilience in changing marine environments. While the impacts of noise and temperature have been studied independently, little is known about their combined effects on species that rely on multimodal courtship. This study fills this gap by examining how boat noise and ocean warming interact to influence courtship behavior and acoustic communication in the painted goby (Pomatoschistus pictus), a benthic fish that relies on both visual displays and acoustic signaling to attract mates. We conducted a controlled factorial experiment (2 temperature × 3 sound conditions) in the laboratory. Behavioral observations were coupled with acoustic recordings, and nesting success was monitored as an indicator of reproductive outcome. No significant effect of noise or temperature on the occurrence of courtship or spawning was found, probably due to small sample sizes. Only noise treatment showed an effect on the duration/number of courtship variables with coil increasing the time spent by the male outside the nest and thump production. Strong correlations were observed between male nest building, acoustic cues and reproductive success. These results point to the importance of behavioral input in reproductive outcomes and suggest that such intrinsic factors can buffer courtship behavior in fish under moderate environmental stress, contributing to our understanding of fish resilience to global change.
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