Journal
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY AND SOCIOBIOLOGY
Volume 64, Issue 5, Pages 783-792Publisher
SPRINGER
DOI: 10.1007/s00265-009-0895-2
Keywords
Geographic variation; Live-bearing fish; P. latipinna; Poecilia formosa; Preference function; Species recognition; Unisexual-bisexual mating system
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Funding
- National Science Foundation [DIB-0415808]
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Male sailfin mollies (Poecilia latipinna) are sexually parasitized by gynogenetic Amazon mollies (Poecilia formosa). In areas of sympatry, Amazon mollies are frequently larger than female sailfin mollies. In sympatry, selection may favor males that prefer smaller conspecific mates (avoid mismating with Amazon mollies), or selection may favor males that prefer larger conspecific mates (higher fecundity). To explore this potential species and mate-quality recognition conflict, we examined male preference variation across populations. Males from one sympatric population showed stabilizing preference functions, whereas in another sympatric population, males showed directional preference functions. Variation across sympatric populations may be related to the length of time of co-evolution with Amazon mollies. In the allopatric populations, we found flat preference functions. Variation in male preferences could have important ramifications for the maintenance of Amazon mollies, as well as for the evolution of female size.
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