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Tail size and female choice in the guppy (Poecilia reticulata)

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Summary

Under laboratory conditions, female guppies demonstrate a clear preference for males with larger tails, and this preference translates into enhanced reproductive fitness for these males. Females also prefer males with higher display rates, a behavior which appears to be linked to tail size, but which can be experimentally disassociated. This appears to be a case of female-choice sexual selection.

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Bischoff, R.J., Gould, J.L. & Rubenstein, D.I. Tail size and female choice in the guppy (Poecilia reticulata). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 17, 253–255 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00300143

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00300143

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