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The impact of social context on male mate preference in a unisexual–bisexual mating complex
Author(s) -
Alberici da Barbiano L.,
Aspbury A. S.,
Nice C. C.,
Gabor C. R.
Publication year - 2011
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.1095-8649.2011.03009.x
Subject(s) - poecilia , biology , mating , mate choice , zoology , context (archaeology) , mating preferences , ecology , population , poeciliidae , range (aeronautics) , preference , sexual selection , fish <actinopterygii> , demography , fishery , paleontology , materials science , composite material , sociology , microeconomics , economics
Male sailfin mollies Poecilia latipinna were tested in five different treatments that varied in the relative frequency of heterospecific gynogens (Amazon molly Poecilia formosa ) to conspecific females to determine whether social interactions among males within a population causes some males to mate with heterospecific females. Male P. latipinna inseminated a significantly higher proportion of conspecific females and fertilized a significantly higher number of conspecific eggs regardless of the treatment. Nonetheless, preference for conspecific females was not exclusive as a range of 20 to 50% of heterospecific females were fertilized. Social interactions among males may best explain the results and may therefore play an important role in the maintenance of unisexual–bisexual mating complexes.