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Non‐Visual Mate Choice Ability in a Cavefish ( P oecilia mexicana ) is not Mechanosensory
Author(s) -
Rüschenbaum Sabrina,
Schlupp Ingo
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
ethology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.739
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1439-0310
pISSN - 0179-1613
DOI - 10.1111/eth.12072
Subject(s) - cave , preference , darkness , biology , mate choice , fish <actinopterygii> , zoology , line (geometry) , chemical communication , ecology , communication , sex pheromone , psychology , fishery , botany , mating , economics , microeconomics , geometry , mathematics
One of the most important decisions any female has to make is selecting a mate. In many animals, this involves a strong visual component, but in cave‐dwelling fishes, mate preferences have to be exercised in darkness. In a cave‐dwelling P oeciliid fish, the cave molly ( P oecilia mexicana ), visual mate choice is still possible because they have functional, albeit reduced eyes. In a previous laboratory study, it was documented that females prefer larger males in light and in darkness. In the present study, we investigated the role of the mechanosensory lateral line in this mate preference. We temporarily knocked out the lateral line using antibiotics. We found that even in the functional absence of the lateral line, females showed a clear preference for larger males, indicating that the lateral line is not crucial for mate choice. This points toward a strong role of chemical communication in cave molly mate choice.