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Courting Failure in a Pencilfish, Nannostomus b. beckfordi
Author(s) -
Caplan Morton B.,
Dunham D. W.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
zeitschrift für tierpsychologie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.739
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1439-0310
pISSN - 0044-3573
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-0310.1978.tb01444.x
Subject(s) - courtship , stereotypy , aggression , psychology , communication , biology , zoology , developmental psychology , neuroscience , amphetamine , dopamine
We analysed a sample of 4341 activity bouts from 12 male Nannostomus b. beckfordi interacting with ♀♀. Only 22 % of the gamopractic bouts ended in spawning. In 50 % of the bouts the pair separated without spawning or interference, partly as a result of male aggression. Interference frcm conspecifics was also a major cause of failure, terminating 28 % of the gamopractic bouts. Successful courtship bouts contain more gamopractic behaviour than do abortive bouts, even in the first 6 s, and also show greater stereotypy.