Meeting Abstract
In many species, male members use courtship displays as well as physical traits to attract mates. Females may asses the displays, the ornamentation, or both to determine the quality of her suitors and make a selection. In fish species, females may assess the courtship displays of males based on certain characteristics of their swimming behavior, such as sprint speed, which is the top speed a fish can swim. Male fish may use fast bursts in their courtship displays as a method of out-competing other males. Having a fast sprint speed can also allow a fish to escape predators. Females may analyze sprint speed as a way of gaining the indirect benefit of having offspring that may be fast sprinters, and therefore better able to escape predators. Or, the male’s ornamentation may be an accurate indicator of his sprint speed, allowing the female to chose based on his morphology. The goal of this study was to determine if female preference was influenced by a male’s sprint speed, morphology, or both using Xiphophorus montezumae. Males of this species have an extension of their caudal fin, referred to as a “sword.” This has made them ideal for studies on female preference, as well as locomotor performance. Yet a study linking female preference and performance in X. montezumae hasn’t been done. Sprint speed was quantified by chasing male individuals down a chamber and recording the intervals at which lasers were broken. Female preference was examined using a dichotomous preference test. The morphology of the males was recorded by taking measurements of their physical features, including their sword. Results will be discussed in the context of the relationship among individual sprint speed, morphology and female preference.
