Plasticity in courtship and sneaking behaviors depending on tail length in the male guppy, Poecilia reticulata

Male guppies Poecilia reticulata exhibit two types of mating behavior, i.e., courtship displays for cooperative copulation and sneaking attempts for forced copulation. The frequencies of the two male mating behavior are influenced by tail length. Males possessing long tails exhibit courtship display...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ichthyological research 2009-07, Vol.56 (3), p.253-259
Main Authors: Karino, K.(Tokyo Gakugei Univ., Koganei (Japan)), Kamada, N
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal behavior
Animal reproduction
Animal Systematics/Taxonomy/Biogeography
Aquatic ecology
Biomedical and Life Sciences
COLA (ANATOMIA ANIMAL)
COMPORTAMIENTO REPRODUCTIVO
COMPORTAMIENTO SEXUAL
COMPORTEMENT REPRODUCTIF
COMPORTEMENT SEXUEL
Ecology
Fish
Freshwater
Freshwater & Marine Ecology
Life Sciences
MACHO
MALE
MALES
POECILIA RETICULATA
QUEUE
REPRODUCTIVE BEHAVIOUR
SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR
TAIL
Zoology
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Summary:Male guppies Poecilia reticulata exhibit two types of mating behavior, i.e., courtship displays for cooperative copulation and sneaking attempts for forced copulation. The frequencies of the two male mating behavior are influenced by tail length. Males possessing long tails exhibit courtship displays less frequently and sneaking attempts more frequently than those possessing short tails, even though they have similar total lengths. To examine whether these male behavioral tendencies depending on tail length are genetically controlled or are determined by tail length per se, tail length manipulation was conducted. The tail lengths of males that had previously possessed longer tails were surgically shortened to a greater degree than those of their counterparts that had previously possessed shorter tails. Although the frequencies of the mating behavior exhibited by the latter males did not apparently change, the former males clearly increased the frequency of courtship displays and decreased that of sneaking attempts following tail shortening. These results indicate that males adjust the frequencies of the two mating behavior according to their tail length. Since females avoid cooperative mating with males possessing long tails, the change in mating behavioral patterns by males depending on their tail length may increase their mating opportunities.
ISSN:1341-8998
1616-3915
DOI:10.1007/s10228-008-0093-7