Abstract
We examined how male size and fighting ability influence a female’s mate assessment process and her eventual mate choice in the monogamous convict cichlid, Amatitlania nigrofasciata. Females always chose the larger of two males when they were allowed to see a larger male next to a smaller one and when a larger male defeated a smaller one in a fight. They did not differentiate between large and small males when they did not see the two males together nor did they choose a dominant over a subordinate male when both were the same size. We suggest that females select on the basis of male size because it is a better predictor of both direct and indirect benefits (i.e., future competitive interactions and foraging ability) than dominance behavior only. Despite selecting one male over the other early in the courtship period, females continued to visit both males until spawning. Our evidence suggests that this assessment behavior more closely resembles a bet-hedging tactic rather than the female’s indecision as to which male will be her mate.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Andersson M (1994) Sexual selection. Princeton University Press, Princeton
Bockelman AK (2004) Courtship and parental care in the biparental convict cichlid fish (Archocentrus nigrofasciatus): a test of their relationship. Ph.D. Dissertation, Lehigh University
Chase ID, Bartolomeo C, Dugatkins LA (1994) Aggressive interactions and inter-contest interval: how long do winners keep winning? Anim Behav 48:393–400
Draud MJ, Itzkowitz M (2004) Mate numbers or mate quality: female mate choice in the promiscuous variegated pupfish (Cyprinodon variegates). Ecol Ethol Evol 16:1–13
Forsgren E (1997) Female sand gobies prefer good fathers over dominant males. Proc R Soc Lond Ser B 26:1283–1286
Gagliardi-Seeley J, Itzkowitz M (2006) Pairs with large male are better at parental defense than pairs with small males in the convict cichlid (Archocentrus nigrofasciatus). J Fish Biol 69:1239–1244
Hoi H (1997) Assessment of the quality of copulation partners in the monogamous bearded tit. Anim Behav 53:277–286
Itzkowitz M, Vollmer G, Rios-Carenas O (1998) Competition for nesting sites between monogamous pairs of convict cichlids (Cichlasoma nigrofasciatum): Asymmetries in size and prior residence. Behaviour 135:261–267
Jackson WM (1991) Why do winners keep winning? Behav Ecol Sociobiol 28:271–276
Kvarnemo C, Simmons LW (1999) Variance in female quality, operational sex ratio and mate choice in a bushcricket. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 45:245–252
Kokko H, Brooks R, Jennions MD, Morley J (2003) The evolution of mate choice and mating biases. Proc R Soc Lond B 270:653–664
Koops MA, Grant JWA (1993) Weight asymmetry and sequential assessment in convict cichlid contests. Can J Zool 71:475–479
Leiser J, Itzkowitz M (1999) The benefits of dear enemy recognition in three-contender convict cichlid (Cichlasoma nigrofasciatum) contests. Behaviour 136:983–1003
Luttbeg B (1996) A comparative Bayes tactic for mate assessment and choice. Behav Ecol 7:451–460
Noonan KC (1983) Female mate choice in the cichlid fish Cichlasoma nigrofasciatum. Anim Behav 31:1005–1010
Peterson E, Järvi T, Olsén H, Mayer I, Hedenskog M (1999) Male–male competition and female choice in brown trout. Anim Behav 57:777–783
Qvarnström A, Forsgren E (1998) Should females prefer dominant males? Tree 13:498–501
Santangelo N (2005) Courtship in the monogamous convict cichlid; what are individuals saying to rejected and selected mates? Anim Behav 69:143–149
Santangelo N, Itzkowitz M (2004) Sex differences in the mate selection process of the monogamous, biparental convict cichlid, Archocentrus nigrofasciatum. Behaviour 141:1041–1059
Shapiro LE, Dewsbury DA (1986) Male dominance, female choice and male copulatory behavior in two species of voles (Microtus orchogaster and Microtus montanus). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 18:267–274
Sih A, Lauer M, Krupa JJ (2002) Path analysis and the relative importance of male–female conflict, female choice and male–male competition in water striders. Anim Behav 63:1079–1089
Stapley J (2008) Female mountain log skinks are more likely to mate with males that court more, not males that are dominant. Anim Behav 75:529–538
Triefenbach F, Itzkowitz M (1998) Male switching as a function of mate quality in convict cichlids, Cichlasoma nigrofasciatum. Anim Behav 55:1263–1270
van Breukelen NA, Draud M (2005) The roles of male size and female eavesdropping in divorce in the monogamous convict cichlid (Archocentrus nigrofasciatus, Cichlidae). Behaviour 142:1029–1041
Wisenden BD (1994) Factors affecting reproductive success in free-ranging convict cichlids (Cichlasoma nigrofasciatum). Can J Zool 72:2177–2185
Wong BB, Candolin U (2005) How is female mate choice affected by male competition? Biol Rev 80:559–571
Zar JH (1999) Biostatistical analysis. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey
Acknowledgments
We thank Brian O’ Loughlin, Erin Anthony, Natalie van Breukelen, and Jenny Gumm for their assistance in taking positional data in this experiment and for helpful comments.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
About this article
Cite this article
Gagliardi-Seeley, J., Leese, J., Santangelo, N. et al. Mate choice in female convict cichlids (Amatitlania nigrofasciata) and the relationship between male size and dominance. J Ethol 27, 249–254 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10164-008-0111-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10164-008-0111-2