Male polymorphism inLimia perugiae (Pisces: Poeciliidae)

Abstract

The male-polymorphic poeciliid fish, Limia perugiae, a small teleostean endemic to the southeast of the Caribbean island Hispañola, consists of three male size morphs with uniform females. Large males differentiate at a size varying between 25 and 38 mm; intermediate males, between 21 and 25 mm. Under competition, large males exhibit an elaborate courtship display, whereas small males show only a sneak-chase behavior. Intermediate males adapt their tactics to the respective competitors. However, all male morphs can switch from courtship display to sneak-chase behavior. In large mating groups with four males of different size and five or six virgin females, large dominant alpha-males as well as small subordinate delta-males did not produce any offspring. Unexpectedly, all progeny were sired exclusively by the intermediate subordinate beta- and gamma-males. Breeding experiments with the three male morphs can best be explained by a model of Y-linked genes for small and large size which are both suspended by the activity of an autosomal recessive repressor responsible for the development of intermediate males. The dominant allele of the recessive repressor, in either its homoorits heterozygous state, activates the Y-chromosomal genes for large or small size, respectively. Accordingly, intermediate males may produce male offspring of all size classes, depending on the presence of either the Y-linked gene or the autosomal repressor.

In love and war: The morphometric and phylogenetic basis of ornamentation, and the evolution of male display behavior, in the livebearer genus Poecilia

“…Some species have continuous variation in male size ( L. perugiae : Farr ; Erbelding‐Denk et al. ; Schröder et al. ; P. latipinna : Farr et al.…”

“…), spend more time courting females and fending off rivals than smaller and subordinate conspecifics (Erbelding‐Denk et al. ; Swanbrow Becker et al. ).…”

All males are not created equal: Fertility differences depend on gamete recognition polymorphisms in sea urchins

“…Despite this, there is a surprising degree of natural polymorphism in reproductive tactics and in reproductive genes within many species. Polymorphic mating tactics or mate preferences exist in insects, fish, birds, lizards, and amphibians (3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8). Among insects, accessory gland proteins are passed to females during insemination, and different alleles are associated with differential sperm success (1).…”

Testosterone-induced male traits in female ruffs ( Philomachus pugnax ): autosomal inheritance and gender differentiation

“…However, in a small number of species, individuals do carry alternative alleles for reproductive strategies. In some, both sexes express polymorphic characteristics (seaweed £y, Coelopa frigida (Day & Gilburn 1997); whitethroated sparrows, Zonotrichia albicollis (Tuttle 1993); sideblotched lizards, Uta stansburiana (Sinervo & Lively 1996)), while others have sex-limited polymorphisms (marine isopod, Paracerceis sculpta (Shuster & Sassaman 1997); species of poeciliid ¢sh (Kallman 1983;Borowsky 1987;Ryan & Wagner 1987;Zimmerer & Kallman 1989;Erbelding-Denk et al 1994)). In the species listed above with polymorphisms in both sexes, autosomal models of inheritance have been proposed.…”