Premium
Aggressive females become aggressive males in a sex‐changing reef fish
Author(s) -
Sprenger Dennis,
Dingemanse Niels J.,
Dochtermann Ned A.,
Theobald Jennifer,
Walker Stefan P. W.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
ecology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.852
H-Index - 265
eISSN - 1461-0248
pISSN - 1461-023X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2012.01819.x
Subject(s) - biology , ecology , range (aeronautics) , personality psychology , personality , fish <actinopterygii> , sexual conflict , sex change , aggression , sexual selection , zoology , psychology , fishery , developmental psychology , social psychology , materials science , composite material
Many animal populations display consistent individual differences in suites of correlated behaviours. While these so called ‘animal personalities’ can substantially influence the ecology and evolution of populations, little is known about cross‐sex correlations of behaviour and thus the potential of personality to limit sex‐specific behavioural adaptations. Here, we experimentally induced sex‐change in the sequentially hermaphroditic reef fish Parapercis cylindrica and demonstrate the existence of tight cross‐sex correlations for two behaviours with presumed different sex‐specific optima. Individuals that were relatively more active and aggressive females were found to become relatively more active and aggressive males. By identifying personality as a potential genetic constraint on the resolution of intralocus sexual conflict over behaviour, our findings have important ecological and evolutionary implications for a wide range of species.