Sexual signaling in the European bitterling: females learn the truth by direct inspection of the resource

Authors: U. Candolin; J.D. Reynolds

Source: Behavioral Ecology, Volume 12, Number 4, July 2001 , pp. 407-411(5)

Buy & download fulltext article:

Price: $42.29 plus tax (Refund Policy)

Abstract:

In many taxa females appear to base their mate choice on multiple traits. But the relative importance of different traits in mate choice has rarely been determined. Here we show that females of a freshwater fish, the European bitterling, Rhodeus sericeus, base their mate choice on multiple traits that differ in their reliability as indicators of expected reproductive success and are used at different stages of the decision process. The initial decision to inspect a male is based on male behavior and red coloration, whereas the final spawning decision is based on the quality of the live unionid mussel, Anodonta anatina, that the male is defending as an oviposition site. Male traits may indicate which males are worth inspecting by reflecting male quality, such as reproductive condition and genetic constitution. Male traits do not, however, reflect mussel quality, as bright males also court females vigorously toward mussels that yield a low probability of survival of the offspring. Females, on the other hand, are choosier than males in their choice of spawning site and seem to gain reliable information about the survival probability of the eggs by inspecting the mussel directly.

Keywords: bitterlings; mate choice; multiple ornaments; reliable signaling; resource quality; Rhodeus sericeus; sexual selection

Document Type: Original article

Affiliations: 1: School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK

Publication date: 2001-07-01

More about this publication?

Bringing together significant work on all aspects of the subject, Behavioral Ecology is broad-based and covers both empirical and theoretical approaches. Studies on the whole range of behaving organisms, including plants, invertebrates, vertebrates, and humans, are included.