Mating status affects female choice when females are signalers

Female choice has been documented in many animal taxa, and how we test it has been refined through years of studies on the topic. However, when designing mate choice experiments some variables, surprisingly, often remain overlooked, including receptivity and reproductive stage. Here, we aimed to assess whether the female reproductive stage influences strength and direction of mate choice in the zebrafish, Danio rerio. Females were offered a choice between two males differing in body size. We found that female choice in our experimental setup was significantly repeatable and that females preferred larger males. Nonetheless, the level of choosiness of females was affected by the time since the last spawning. Females spent more time choosing when tested 7 and 10 days after spawning rather than 4 days, indicating a higher receptivity to males from one week after the last spawning. Moreover, females preferred larger males only when tested 7 and 10 days after spawning. Our results suggest that female mate choice should take female receptivity into account, by standardizing time since the last spawning across females. More broadly, this suggests that 7–10 days since the previous spawning is the ideal time interval for zebrafish female receptivity to peak, with implications for facilities and researchers to increase egg production in natural spawning events and manual egg collection. Significance statement The role of pre-copulatory female mate preference has long been recognized in sexual selection. Nonetheless, female receptivity often remains overlooked in mate choice experiments especially in external fertilizing species. In the present study, we investigated if the female reproductive stage affects the strength and direction of female mate choice in an external fertilizing fish, the zebrafish, Danio rerio. We found that, when tested 7 and 10 days after spawning rather than 4 days, females spent more time choosing, demonstrating an increased receptivity to males from 1 week following the last spawning. Furthermore, only at 7 and 10 days after spawning females exibith a clear preference for the bigger males. Our study highlights the importance of considering the female receptivity in future studies assessing mate choices in this and other externally fertilizing species, and also for zebrafish facilities to increase egg production in natural spawning events and manual egg collection.

show abstract

Diet-derived male sex pheromone compounds affect female choice in a noctuid moth

Zweerus,

van Wijk,

Schal

et al. 2023

Sci Rep

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Sexual signals often function in species recognition and may also guide mate choice within a species. In noctuid moths, both males and females may exercise mate choice. Females of the tobacco budworm Chloridea virescens prefer to mate with larger males, but the signal(s) underlying female choice remain unknown. Male hairpencil volatiles are emitted during close range courtship displays. However, previously identified male hairpencil volatiles, namely acetate esters, aldehydes, alcohols, and fatty acids, are not associated with female choice. Recently, two new hairpencil compounds were identified that elicit strong electrophysiological responses in female antennae: methyl salicylate (MeSA) and δ-decalactone. In this study, we investigated the effect of larval diet and adult feeding on MeSA and δ-decalactone content in hairpencils and determined whether these compounds are involved in female choice. We found that larval diet affected MeSA content in hairpencils, but not δ-decalactone. Conversely, adult feeding affected the level of δ-decalactone, but not MeSA: sugar-water feeding increased δ-decalactone content compared to plain water. In two-choice assays, females mated more with males that had higher amounts of δ-decalactone, and less with males with higher amounts of MeSA.

show abstract

scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.

Contact Info

customersupport@researchsolutions.com

10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614

Henderson, NV 89052, USA

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Blog Terms and Conditions API Terms Privacy Policy Contact Cookie Preferences Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

Made with 💙 for researchers

Part of the Research Solutions Family.

Mating status affects female choice when females are signalers

Cited by 4 publications

References 108 publications