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Parallel evolution leads to reduced shoaling behavior in two cave dwelling populations of Atlantic mollies (Poecilia mexicana, Poeciliidae, Teleostei)

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Abstract

Shoaling behavior protects fishes from avian and piscine predation, but at the same time costs of group living arise due to several mechanisms including increased food competition. Most cave fishes live in an environment in which avian and piscine predators are lacking, and cave environments are often characterized by low food availability, leading to increased food competition. Altogether, this should favor the reduction of shoaling in cave fishes. We compared shoaling behavior (i.e. the tendency to associate with a stimulus shoal) among surface dwelling populations of the Atlantic molly, Poecilia mexicana, and two cave forms of that species. The first cave population of P. mexicana originated from the Cueva del Azufre and was previously recognized as the only cave form of a poeciliid fish. The second cave population examined came from a cave that was discovered only recently (Cueva Luna Azufre). In both cave forms shoaling behavior was reduced compared with surface dwelling mollies.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the people of Tapijulapa for their hospitality during the field work preceding this study. The Mexican government (DGOPA/16988/191205/-8101) and Texas Parks and Wildlife (SPR-0305–045) kindly issued permits to collect fish. Two anonymous reviewers provided helpful comments. Financial support came from the DFG (PL 470/1–1, PL 470/1–2).

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  1. Department of Zoology, University of Oklahoma, 730 Van Vleet Oval, Norman, OK, 73019, USA

    Martin Plath & Ingo Schlupp

  2. Unit of Evolutionary Biology and Systematic Zoology, Department of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476, Potsdam, Germany

    Martin Plath

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  1. Martin Plath
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Correspondence to Martin Plath.

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Plath, M., Schlupp, I. Parallel evolution leads to reduced shoaling behavior in two cave dwelling populations of Atlantic mollies (Poecilia mexicana, Poeciliidae, Teleostei). Environ Biol Fish 82, 289–297 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-007-9291-9

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