oophagie

Oophagie, also called oophagy in English, is the act of consuming eggs. The term comes from Greek with oo- meaning egg and -phagein meaning to eat. In biological contexts, oophagy describes feeding that centers on eggs, most often eggs laid by other organisms (interspecific oophagy), though in some situations eggs within a brood may be consumed (intraspecific or filial oophagy). It is observed across a wide range of animals, including fish, amphibians, crustaceans, mollusks, and various insects, and can occur as a predatory interaction or as a form of scavenging.

Ecologically, oophagy provides a rapid source of nutrients and can occur when other food is scarce or when eggs are abundant. It can influence predator–prey relationships, interspecific competition among spawning species, and the evolution of reproductive traits such as egg defenses, clutch size, and spawning timing. In some systems, oophagy can shape population dynamics by reducing the number of eggs available for recruitment.

Examples include predators that feed on eggs released during spawning, or parasitoids and other organisms that exploit eggs as a resource. In certain species, adults may also consume unviable or unfertilized eggs within their brood, a form of filial or intra-clutch oophagy observed under stress or resource limitation.

See also: egg predation, filial cannibalism, brood care, reproductive strategy.