Meeting Abstract
For territorial animals, one of the most important decisions faced during their lifetime is determining where to establish a territory. This is especially true when a territory includes a breeding substrate or nest site. For many taxa, decisions about territory sites are made individually, but for monogamous species, a pair-bond may form prior to a territory and nest site being selected. Here, we explored which sex might be more likely to choose a nest site using a monogamous fish, the convict cichlid, Amatitlania siquia. In nature, little is known regarding how and when convict cichlids choose nest sites, but studies suggest a combination of strategies in which either the male selects the nest site before courting females or the pair selects a site together. Based on this, we hypothesized that males are more likely to determine a nest site, even after a pair-bond has formed. We tested this hypothesis by observing pair-bond formation, then after a pair-bond formed, we placed males and females in separate compartments of a divided aquarium with their own nest site. After 24 hours, the divider was removed, and the location of both individuals in the aquarium was observed for several days. Overall, females seemed to stay with the nest site they were acclimated to and the males showed less preference, in many cases moving to the female side. These results suggest that the female, rather than the male, may be more likely to choose both territory and nest site after pair-bond formation in this system. While unexpected, this result could indicate that females have been selected to be more discerning of nest sites as they require smooth surfaces to deposit their eggs.
