Incongruence between the sexes in preferences for body and dorsal fin size in Xiphophorus variatus

MacLaren, R. David; Fontaine, Adam

doi:10.1016/j.beproc.2012.10.013

Cited by 7 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…The use of a single male image made it impossible to address this concern. That said, this same single‐image methodology has been employed in several previously published studies of mating preferences for visual traits in Poeciliid fishes including P. latipinna (e.g., MacLaren, ; MacLaren, ; MacLaren et al, ), X. helleri (MacLaren, ; MacLaren & Daniska, ), X. variatus (MacLaren & Fontaine, ), and P. reticulata (MacLaren & Fontaine, ), including a study addressing the role of social learning on female preferences for male body color (MacLaren, ). The construction of multiple sets of dummies using images taken of different males rather than a single male would make it possible to address this issue in future experiments.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The testing environment for both experiments and the control consisted of three 17.5‐L aquaria (50 cm × 26 cm × 13.5 cm each) lined up end to end using an apparatus and protocol similar to that used in previous Poeciliid mate preference experiments with P. latipinna (MacLaren, ; MacLaren et al, ), P. mexicana (MacLaren & Rowland, ), X. hellerii (MacLaren, ; MacLaren & Daniska, ), X. variatus (MacLaren & Fontaine, ; MacLaren et al, ), and P. reticulata (MacLaren & Fontaine, ). Females were transferred from stock tanks into separate 8.75‐L isolation tanks for a period of 24 hr before becoming eligible for use as test subjects.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As in previous experiments of this kind (MacLaren, , ; MacLaren & Daniska, ; MacLaren & Fontaine, , ; MacLaren et al, , ; MacLaren & Rowland, ) all video data were played back in real time to determine the total time each female spent in each preference zone as well as time spent in the neutral zone per 20‐min treatment. For all subjects in both experiments and the control, the strength of preference [SOP, (time spent near orange‐tailed male–time spent near wild‐type male)/(time near orange + time near wild type)] of each female in preference tests 1 and 2 were calculated.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evidence of an emerging female preference for an artificial male trait and the potential for spread via mate choice copying in Poecilia latipinna

MacLaren

2019

Ethology

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The initial purpose of the project described herein was to assess the preference of female Poecilia latipinna for an artificial novel male trait—an orange‐colored distal fringe added to the caudal fin of an otherwise wild‐type conspecific. Analysis of the preliminary data revealed consistent individual differences in the strength of female preference for either orange‐tailed or wild‐type males. This finding inspired the study's second aim—to evaluate whether the preference for orange‐tailed males observed among a subset of females could spread via mate choice copying to others in the population that initially preferred wild‐type males. Two experiments and a control were conducted wherein females were simultaneously presented with an orange‐tailed and a wild‐type dummy male using a standard dichotomous choice design. In the first experiment, female preference was assessed on two separate occasions in order to characterize the variability and consistency in preference for orange‐tailed versus wild‐type males. The second experiment addressed mate choice copying: Female preference was again assessed on two separate occasions, but involved pairing a model female with the non‐preferred male for a period of time between preference tests. A third set of control tests were conducted using the same protocol as the copying experiment except that subject females were unable to see the model paired with the non‐preferred male. Results showed that, although females collectively preferred neither the orange‐tailed nor the wild‐type dummy male in the first round of preference tests, the majority showed relatively strong individual preferences. The subset of females that preferred the orange‐tailed over the wild‐type male in the first round of testing all maintained their preferences in the second round whether or not they had observed a model in association with the non‐preferred wild‐type male between tests. However, females that preferred the wild type over the orange male in the first round of testing copied the model's choice of the non‐preferred orange‐tailed male in their second round of preference testing. These results highlight the importance of recognizing the likelihood that only a subset of females will express a preference as it first emerges within a population. In such instances, the preference may not be detected at the population level—a point frequently overlooked in studies of mate choice. Additionally, these data highlight the importance of assessing the preferences of individual females and their capacity to drive evolutionary change within populations. Lastly, this study offers evidence of a possible mechanism by which a novel male trait might spread via mate choice copying by exploiting an emerging sensory bias within a subset of females in the population.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evidence of an emerging female preference for an artificial male trait and the potential for spread via mate choice copying in Poecilia latipinna

MacLaren

2019

Ethology

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“…These appendages are thought to mimic large male body size ( Rosenthal 2017 ). Color and black spots are found in females of many species (see Section on Female ornaments for a discussion), but no exaggerated fins ( MacLaren and Fontaine 2013 ). It might be worthwhile to point out here that color and spotting patterns may arise also under natural selection, not just by sexual selection.…”

Section: Natural History Of Livebearing Fishesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is an important finding, because it shows that other factors—not only size—likely play an important role in male mate choice. MacLaren and Fontaine (2013) explored a potential female ornament in X. variatus , a species of swordtail without a sword. They found that males preferred larger body size in females, but not larger fins.…”

Section: Mechanisms Of Male Mate Choicementioning

confidence: 99%

Male mate choice in livebearing fishes: an overview

Schlupp

2018

Current Zoology

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Although the majority of studies on mate choice focus on female mate choice, there is growing recognition of the role of male mate choice too. Male mate choice is tightly linked to 2 other phenomena: female competition for males and ornamentation in females. In the current article, I review the existing literature on this in a group of fishes, Poeciliidae. In this group, male mate choice appears to be based on differences in female quality, especially female size, which is a proxy for fecundity. Some males also have to choose between heterospecific and conspecific females in the unusual mating system of the Amazon molly. In this case, they typically show a preference for conspecific females. Whereas male mate choice is relatively well documented for this family, female ornamentation and female competition are not.

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Social environment affects female preference for male body color during development in artificially selected varieties of Poecilia latipinna

MacLaren

2016

Ethology Ecology & Evolution

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Incongruence between the sexes in preferences for body and dorsal fin size in Xiphophorus variatus

Cited by 7 publications

References 56 publications

Evidence of an emerging female preference for an artificial male trait and the potential for spread via mate choice copying in Poecilia latipinna

Evidence of an emerging female preference for an artificial male trait and the potential for spread via mate choice copying in Poecilia latipinna

Male mate choice in livebearing fishes: an overview

Social environment affects female preference for male body color during development in artificially selected varieties of Poecilia latipinna

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