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Quantifying male attractiveness and mating behaviour through phenotypic size manipulation in the Trinidadian guppy, Poecilia reticulata

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Abstract

Although many studies have examined the effects of male size on attractiveness and mating behaviour, few have taken genetic background into consideration. Phenotypic manipulation permits the experimental adjustment of morphological traits while keeping genetic background constant. Here, male guppies, Poecilia reticulata, an ideal model for this type of manipulation, were raised at different temperatures to produce sibling pairs that differed in size. These were then used to investigate male mating behaviour and male attractiveness, assessed through female mate choice, in relation to this size dimorphism. Further, male–male competition, which is intrinsic to male mating behaviour, is also likely to be affected by their size. Through the use of repeated measures analyses we demonstrate that females significantly prefer larger males and male size and competition significantly affect several aspects of male mating behaviour. Larger siblings perform more sneaky mating attempts and spend more time chasing females. The frequencies of both these behaviours increase with competition. While display frequency is unaffected by male size and competition, display duration and the amount of time spent attending females are reduced in the presence of competitors. This study highlights the use of phenotypic manipulation as a valuable tool for investigating behavioural interactions and confirms that both male size and competition are significant factors in the guppy mating system.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Alfredo F Ojanguren, Anna M Ludlow and three anonymous referees for valuable comments on this manuscript and Per-Erik Isberg and Henrik G Smith for statistical advice. This study was supported by the Janet Thompson Anderson Scholarship, University of St Andrews (KM), Hellmuth Hertz’ Foundation (LBP), The Swedish Foundation for International Cooperation in Research and Higher Education (LBP) and the Natural Environment Research Council UK (AEM)

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  1. Gatty Marine Laboratory, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 8LB, Scotland, UK

    Kit Magellan & Anne E. Magurran

  2. Department of Ecology, Ecology Building, Lund University, SE-223 62, Lund, Sweden

    Lars B. Pettersson

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  1. Kit Magellan
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  2. Lars B. Pettersson
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  3. Anne E. Magurran
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Correspondence to Kit Magellan.

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Communicated by M. Abrahams

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Magellan, K., Pettersson, L.B. & Magurran, A.E. Quantifying male attractiveness and mating behaviour through phenotypic size manipulation in the Trinidadian guppy, Poecilia reticulata. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 58, 366–374 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-005-0950-6

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