Guppy males distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar females of a distantly related species

Valero, Alejandra; Magurran, Anne E.; Garcı́a, Constantino Macı́as

doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2009.05.018

Cited by 13 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…Our results are similar to those shown in male Poecilia guppies exposed to females of a distantly related species (Valero et al, 2009), in that avoidance of mating toward familiar heterospecific individuals was greater than avoidance toward unfamiliar individuals. These results are surprising, since there is no obvious reason for females to avoid some heterospecific males more than others.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

“…A priori, there was no reason to expect that a female would behave differently toward familiar and unfamiliar heterospecific males. However, in a recent study, male Trinidadian guppies (Poecilia reticulata) were exposed for 14 days to female Skiffia bilineata (a distantly related species), and after this exposure, males reduced mating attempts toward familiar heterospecific females but persisted in attempting to mate with unfamiliar heterospecific females (Valero, Magurran, & Garcia 2009). That is, males did not generalize the learned response for the familiar heterospecific female to unfamiliar heterospecific females (Valero et al, 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Here we determined whether Syrian hamsters differ from Trinidadian guppies (Valero et al, 2009) by being able to generalize their learned response for a familiar heterospecific to unfamiliar heterospecifics. Whether female Syrian hamsters generalize their response to any heterospecific male may depend on the type of information about males used by the females (Johnston & Peng, 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Avoidance of interspecific mating in female Syrian hamsters is stronger toward familiar than toward unfamiliar heterospecific males

delBarco‐Trillo

Johnston

2011

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Adult Syrian hamster females (Mesocricetus auratus) learn to discriminate against familiar heterospecific males (Turkish hamster, M. brandti). We investigated whether females learn to avoid any heterospecific male after exposure to just one heterospecific male. We predicted that, after being exposed to one heterospecific male, a female would avoid mating not only with that familiar male but also with any unfamiliar heterospecific male. We exposed females to a heterospecific male across a wire-mesh barrier for 8 days and then paired the female with (a) that same heterospecific male or (b) an unfamiliar heterospecific male. Females exhibited lordosis faster and for a longer duration toward the unfamiliar than toward the familiar heterospecific male. However, females were similarly aggressive toward familiar and unfamiliar heterospecific males. Perhaps exposure to stimuli from several heterospecific males (a likely scenario in the wild) would result in females behaving similarly toward familiar and unfamiliar heterospecific males.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Avoidance of interspecific mating in female Syrian hamsters is stronger toward familiar than toward unfamiliar heterospecific males

delBarco‐Trillo

Johnston

2011

Learn Behav

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“…They are morphologically similar to guppies and share ecological niches (Valero, Macías Garcia, & Magurran, 2008). Moreover, some population declines have been directly attributed to guppy invasion (De La Vega-Salazar et al, 2003;Valero et al, 2008;Valero, Magurran, & Macías Garcia, 2009).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploratory behaviour and transmission of information between the invasive guppy and native Mexican topminnows

2015

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“…In conclusion, we suggest that cognitive abilities at least in teleost fishes are by no means restricted to the mere recognition of familiar individuals [5,21,22], but rivals' sexual activity and attractiveness to females are also being assessed, remembered and integrated in mating decisions.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Male fish use prior knowledge about rivals to adjust their mate choice

et al. 2011

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Mate choice as one element of sexual selection can be sensitive to public information from neighbouring individuals. Here, we demonstrate that males of the livebearing fish Poecilia mexicana gather complex social information when given a chance to familiarize themselves with rivals prior to mate choice. Focal males ceased to show mating preferences when being observed by a rival (which prevents rivals from copying mating decisions), but this effect was only seen when focal males have perceived rivals as sexually active. In addition, focal males that were observed by a familiar, sexually active rival showed a stronger behavioural response when rivals were larger and thus, more attractive to females. Our study illustrates an unparalleled adjustment in the expression of mating preferences based on social cues, and suggests that male fish are able to remember and strategically exploit information about rivals when performing mate choice.

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Guppy males distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar females of a distantly related species

Cited by 13 publications

References 40 publications

Avoidance of interspecific mating in female Syrian hamsters is stronger toward familiar than toward unfamiliar heterospecific males

Avoidance of interspecific mating in female Syrian hamsters is stronger toward familiar than toward unfamiliar heterospecific males

Exploratory behaviour and transmission of information between the invasive guppy and native Mexican topminnows

Male fish use prior knowledge about rivals to adjust their mate choice

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