Male size, spawning pit size and female mate choice in a lekking cichlid fish (original) (raw)
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Abstract
In the lekking cichlid fish, Oreochromis mossambicus, males dig and defend spawning pits where courtship and mating occur. Under natural conditions, females may encounter solitary or aggregated males and experience varying degrees of male interference during courtship and spawning Female mating preferences are difficult to tease apart from the effects of male-male competition in these circumstances. Mate choice by females was studied in the laboratory under conditions that prevented male-male competition and courtship interference. Female O. mossambicus received choices between (1) a large and a small male or (2) a large and a small spawning pit. Females showed no preference based on male size, but 17 of 19 females chose the larger spawning pit. To determine the relationship between male size and spawning pit size, the volumes of spawning pits dug by small and large males in wading pools were measured. Spawning pit sizes of small and large males were similar regardless of whether small and large males were segregated or inter-mixed. Therefore, male size was not a good predictor of spawning pit size. To determine whether interactions between males influence female mate choice, females were presented with an interacting pair of males. Seventeen of 19 females mated with the larger of the two males. Videotape analysis revealed that large and small males were similar in behaviour during two of the three time blocks analysed. Although male behaviour may have influenced female decisions, male size was the most salient feature. The results confirm that females assess both site and male characteristics, and suggest that female choice and male-male competition together are important components of sexual selection in this lekking animal.
Publication:
Animal Behaviour
Pub Date:
1995
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