Examination of boldness traits in sexual and asexual mollies (Poecilia latipinna, P. formosa)

Scharnweber, Kristin; Plath, Martin; Tobler, Michael

doi:10.1007/s10211-011-0097-6

Cited by 13 publications

(9 citation statements)

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“…taking risks to gain resources; Scharnweber et al. 2011c), and they even share comparable parasite species and parasite loads (Tobler et al. ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, both species are very similar in their boldness (e.g. taking risks to gain resources; Scharnweber et al 2011c), and they even share comparable parasite species and parasite loads (Tobler et al 2005). In addition, they frequently form linear hierarchies between species in mixed shoals, typically based on the size of the individuals within the shoal (D. Bierbach, pers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of Female‐Female Aggression in a Sexual/Unisexual Species Complex

Makowicz

Schlupp

2015

Ethology

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The maintenance of sexual reproduction is still a largely unresolved question in evolutionary biology, and one of the most puzzling aspects of this is the coexistence of sexual and asexual females. This often leads to widespread niche overlap, posing an interesting challenge to competitive exclusion theory. In this study, we investigate how the aggressive behaviors between females in a sexual/unisexual mating complex of mollies (Poecilia latipinna and P. formosa) differ, and the effects these behaviors have on both the performer and receiver of aggressive acts. We exposed females to five treatments: (1) alone (control); (2) a large and small sexual female; (3) a large sexual female and a small unisexual female; (4) a small sexual female and a large unisexual female; and (5) a large and small unisexual female. We found that P. formosa females were on average more aggressive over time when compared to their sexual hosts, P. latipinna. The females of P. formosa, however, incurred a higher cost of being aggressive. Large, aggressor females of this species had a lower body fat content than their conspecific recipients. By contrast, P. latipinna females showed no differentiation between aggressors and recipients. Here, we combine life history methodology and behavioral observations to show that female competition can in fact be quantitatively measured and that these aggressive behaviors are costly to perform. The adaptive value of this interspecies aggression is not yet completely understood, but sexual competition, access to resources, and position within the shoal are all possible functions.

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“…taking risks to gain resources; Scharnweber et al. 2011c), and they even share comparable parasite species and parasite loads (Tobler et al. ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Female‐Female Aggression in a Sexual/Unisexual Species Complex

Makowicz

Schlupp

2015

Ethology

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“…The same individuals were also characterized twice for boldness (on 2 consecutive days), for which we used an established experimental design: the emergence test (Brown and Braithwaite 2004; Brown et al. 2005; Scharnweber et al. 2011).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predator-induced changes of male and female mating preferences: innate and learned components

Plath

Umutoni

et al. 2019

Current Zoology

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While many mating preferences have a genetic basis, the question remains as to whether and how learning/experience can modify individual mate choice decisions. We used wild-caught (predator-experienced) and F1 laboratory-reared (predator-naïve) invasive Western mosquitofish Gambusia affinis from China to test whether mating preferences (assessed in a first mate choice test) would change under immediate predation threat. The same individuals were tested in a second mate choice test during which 1 of 3 types of animated predators was presented: 1) a co-occurring predator, 2) a co-evolved but not currently co-occurring predator, and 3) a non-piscivorous species as control. We compared preference scores derived from both mate choice tests to separate innate from experiential effects of predation. We also asked whether predator-induced changes in mating preferences would differ between sexes or depend on the choosing individual’s personality type and/or body size. Wild-caught fish altered their mate choice decisions most when exposed to the co-occurring predator whereas laboratory-reared individuals responded most to the co-evolved predator, suggesting that both innate mechanisms and learning effects are involved. This behavior likely reduces individuals’ risk of falling victim to predation by temporarily moving away from high-quality (i.e., conspicuous) mating partners. Accordingly, effects were stronger in bolder than shyer, large- compared with small-bodied, and female compared with male focal individuals, likely because those phenotypes face an increased predation risk overall. Our study adds to the growing body of literature appreciating the complexity of the mate choice process, where an array of intrinsic and extrinsic factors interacts during decision-making.

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“…In test situation 3, we characterized each focal female along three personality axes: exploration as the behavioral response to a novel object, boldness as the response to a simulated aerial predator attack and activity in an open field test; all tests were performed consecutively in the same tank to minimize handling stress. Our experimental design followed previous studies on poeciliid fishes ( activity : [ 34 , 59 ]; boldness : [ 34 , 60 ]). The test arena consisted of a transparent plastic container (52 × 24 × 30 cm) that was placed on grey cardboard and filled with aerated stream water to a height of 15 cm.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does personality affect premating isolation between locally-adapted populations?

et al. 2016

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BackgroundOne aspect of premating isolation between diverging, locally-adapted population pairs is female mate choice for resident over alien male phenotypes. Mating preferences often show considerable individual variation, and whether or not certain individuals are more likely to contribute to population interbreeding remains to be studied. In the Poecilia mexicana-species complex different ecotypes have adapted to hydrogen sulfide (H2S)-toxic springs, and females from adjacent non-sulfidic habitats prefer resident over sulfide-adapted males. We asked if consistent individual differences in behavioral tendencies (animal personality) predict the strength and direction of the mate choice component of premating isolation in this system.ResultsWe characterized focal females for their personality and found behavioral measures of ‘novel object exploration’, ‘boldness’ and ‘activity in an unknown area’ to be highly repeatable. Furthermore, the interaction term between our measures of exploration and boldness affected focal females’ strength of preference (SOP) for the resident male phenotype in dichotomous association preference tests. High exploration tendencies were coupled with stronger SOPs for resident over alien mating partners in bold, but not shy, females. Shy and/or little explorative females had an increased likelihood of preferring the non-resident phenotype and thus, are more likely to contribute to rare population hybridization. When we offered large vs. small conspecific stimulus males instead, less explorative females showed stronger preferences for large male body size. However, this effect disappeared when the size difference between the stimulus males was small.ConclusionsOur results suggest that personality affects female mate choice in a very nuanced fashion. Hence, population differences in the distribution of personality types could be facilitating or impeding reproductive isolation between diverging populations depending on the study system and the male trait(s) upon which females base their mating decisions, respectively.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-016-0712-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Examination of boldness traits in sexual and asexual mollies (Poecilia latipinna, P. formosa)

Cited by 13 publications

References 54 publications

Effects of Female‐Female Aggression in a Sexual/Unisexual Species Complex

Effects of Female‐Female Aggression in a Sexual/Unisexual Species Complex

Predator-induced changes of male and female mating preferences: innate and learned components

Does personality affect premating isolation between locally-adapted populations?

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