Meeting Abstract
We compared the effects of male coloration (red, blue, and yellow) on female mate choice in the adult southern platyfish (Xiphophorus maculatus). Males were housed individually and standardized based on various body morphometrics. Females were housed in groups based on coloration. Experiments were conducted utilizing a 56.7 L aquarium with clear Plexiglas© partitions placed equidistant from the center of the tank, which created two isolated holding areas for the male subjects. A synonymously colored male was randomly placed into either the left or right holding chamber to account for side bias. A male of alternative coloration was placed into the opposite chamber. Females were placed into an isolation chamber in the center of the test tank and allowed to acclimate for 2 min, after which courtship behavior towards each male was recorded for 8 min. We recorded the initial preference of each female, as well as the total amount of time females spent associating with each male. Initial preferences were analyzed using a binomial distribution test, and overall preference data using Wilcoxon signed rank tests. Red females initially selected for dissimilar males, and spent more time associating with blue and yellow males. Yellow females also initially selected dissimilarly colored males and spent more time associating with red and blue males. Blue females initially selected and spent more time associating with red males; however, they showed no selection preference between blue and yellow males. Overall, the strong mate selection exhibited by female platyfish for dissimilar coloration in this experiment is suggestive of a negative assortative mating strategy and for how color polymorphism may be maintained in wild populations.
