Meeting Abstract
Despite the inability of humans to see ultraviolet light, ultraviolet vision is common among many taxa including fish, birds, reptiles, insects, and some mammals. In species that can see in the UV spectrum, individuals often have UV markings on their face or body. These markings can serve a variety of purposes, including signaling for mate choice, dominance, and individual recognition. However, the majority of the research in the area of UV signaling has been done on birds and there is limited knowledge about the role of UV markings in fish. We found that Neolamprologus pulcher, a species of cooperatively breeding fish, has UV markings around the face. We investigated the role that these UV markings play in individual interactions by comparing interactions between fish when they can see their opponent’s UV markings and when those markings are obscured by UV-blocking film. If the fish react differently when presented with a familiar individual with and without being able to see UV markings, then UV markings may be involved in individual recognition. Alternatively, if the fish react differently to individuals of the opposite sex with and without being able to see UV markings, the UV markings may play a role in mate choice. Lastly, if the fish react differently to individuals of the same sex with and without being able to see UV markings, then these markings may be involved in establishing dominance. As N. pulcher are considered a model system for studying cooperation, learning more about what role UV signals play in their social interactions would add extra insight to future studies and a deeper understanding of their social dynamics as a species and measuring individual levels of UV markings could become a useful indicator of related social variables.
