Female preference for large males in sailfin mollies, Poecilia latipinna : the importance of predation pressure and reproductive status

Abstract

We examined the effect of predation risk on female association patterns in the live-bearing sailfin molly (Poecilia latipinna). We tested two classes of females, with and without the risk of predation by a green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus): (1) postpartum females (maintained with males until visibly gravid, then isolated and tested within 24-48 h of dropping a brood); and (2) non-postpartum females (different females, isolated from males for >50 days). When there was no apparent risk of predation, postpartum females showed a significant preference for large over small males, whereas nonpostpartum females showed no size preference at all. When there was an apparent risk of predation, postpartum females maintained their preference for larger males and non-postpartum females continued to show no preference for large or small males. These results suggest that reproductive status (receptivity) plays a greater role in mate preference than predation risk. For postpartum females, the cost of not choosing a preferred mate may outweigh the potential cost of predation. Non-postpartum females either do not benefit from mating or are being indecisive about mating and thus are less likely to be choosy whether or not a predator is present.

Mate preference in the painted goby: the influence of visual and acoustic courtship signals

“…Similar dichotomous choice experimental designs are common practice (e.g. Gabor and Page, 2003;Borg et al, 2006;Maruska et al, 2012). However, they may not always translate true mating choices or mating outcomes, as females may gain access to other relevant cues while approaching the males or as a result of mutual assessment (Gonçalves and Oliveira, 2003).…”

Female mate choice plasticity is affected by the interaction between male density and female age in a field cricket

“…However, females on lowquantity diets or in female-biased social environments decreased choosiness as they aged. Other studies testing for interactions have found no evidence to support them; female choosiness in some animals, for example, responds to differences in mating history but is unaffected by the interaction between mating history and either female age (Judge, Tran, & Gwynne, 2010) or predation (Gabor & Page, 2003).…”

Sexual harassment in a live-bearing fish (Poecilia mexicana): influence of population-specific male mating behaviour

“…In live-bearing fishes (Poeciliidae), male mating behaviour is often directly related to body size (Parzefall 1969;Hughes 1985;Woodhead and Armstrong 1985;Farr et al 1986;Farr 1989;Ryan and Causey 1989;Travis and Woodward 1989;Zimmerer and Kallman 1989;Ryan et al 1992;Bisazza 1993;Travis 1994). Molly males (Poecilia: Mollienesia) show a pronounced size polymorphism and females typically prefer larger males as mating partners (Schlupp et al 1994;Bisazza and Pilastro 1997;Marler and Ryan 1997;Ptacek and Travis 1997;Witte and Ryan 1998;Gabor 1999;Gabor and Page 2003;Plath et al 2004a). For example, large sailfin molly males (P. latipinna) court females, using their enlarged sail-like dorsal fin for visual courtship displays (Parzefall 1969;Ptacek 2002).…”