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The effects of relative density upon some aspects of the behaviour of the guppy— Poecilia reticulata (Peters)
Author(s) -
Warren E. W.
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
journal of fish biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.672
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1095-8649
pISSN - 0022-1112
DOI - 10.1111/j.1095-8649.1973.tb04508.x
Subject(s) - biology , guppy , poecilia , courtship , agonistic behaviour , population density , fish <actinopterygii> , zoology , population , dorsal fin , ecology , fishery , aggression , demography , psychology , psychiatry , sociology
Guppy populations were established as one sex or mixed sex groupings, relative degrees of population density were obtained by manipulating the numbers of fish or the volume of the living compartments. Relatively high densities resulted in a reduction in the males courtship behaviour, affecting the number of dorsal fin erections, gonopodial swings, numbers of black spots, number of sigmoid reactions and courtship chases. These measures reached a peak at populations of 12–16 fish/1, falling off both below and above these densities. Associated with a rising fish density was an increase in agonistic behaviour. Activity was not affected by increasing density. Increasing fish density was associated with a drop in the numbers of young fish born and the number of stages occurring within the ovaries. These numbers were greatest at a lower fish density than the behavioural measures.