scholarly journals Male swordtails court with an audience in mind

2006 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heidi S Fisher ◽  
Gil G Rosenthal
Keyword(s):  
Social Interactions ◽  
Freshwater Fish ◽  
Courtship Behaviour ◽  
Male Courtship ◽  
Courtship Display ◽  
Dorsal Fin ◽  
Intrasexual Selection ◽  
Natural Streams

Females are usually considered to be the target of male courtship behaviour. In nature, however, social interactions rarely occur without other observers; thus, it is conceivable that some male courtship behaviours are directed not towards females, but rather towards male rivals. The northern swordtail, Xiphophorus birchmanni , is a freshwater fish found in high densities in natural streams. Males court by swimming close to and in parallel with the female, raising their large sail-like dorsal fin, and quivering briefly. Here, we show that females prefer males that display small dorsal fins to those with large ones, and that males are less aggressive to other males with large dorsal fins. Male swordtails also raise their dorsal fins more frequently when courting in the presence of other males. These results suggest that, despite female avoidance of large dorsal fins, males that raise their fin during courtship benefit by intimidating potential competitors; the intended receivers of this signal are thus males, not females. Intrasexual selection can therefore offset the forces of intersexual selection, even in a courtship display.

Aggression, and the Acquisition and Function of Social Dominance in Female Anolis Carolinensis

Behaviour ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 133 (15-16) ◽  
pp. 1265-1279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cliff H. Summers ◽  
Thomas J. Andrews
Keyword(s):  
Social Interactions ◽  
Site Selection ◽  
Social Dominance ◽  
Anolis Carolinensis ◽  
Resource Acquisition ◽  
Male Courtship ◽  
Body Color ◽  
Courtship Display ◽  
And Function

AbstractFemale green anoles, Anolis carolinensis, were paired in terraria to investigate behavioral components of social interaction. Resources (perching sites, prey, and males as potential mates) were limited to assess their importance to cohabiting females. During interaction, paired females exhibited aggressive social behavior which contributed to the development of dominant-subordinate relationships. Dominant status and its relationship to differential resource acquisition was defined primarily by frequency of displacement of another female. Along with displacement, dominant females also had increased frequency of assertion displays, challenge displays, attacks and biting (Figs 1 & 2). Subordinate females were displaced more often and assumed submissive postures. No differences were found between dominant and subordinate females for perch site selection, body color or in prey capturing latency or success (Figs 3 & 4). Perch site elevation was not different between dominant and subordinate females, but was significantly lower than males. The color of paired females was not different unless males were present, in which case dominant females were darker. Paired females also respond differently to courtship display (Fig. 5). Dominant females responded with displays significantly more often than subordinate females to male courtship, indicating receptivity. The role of dominant-subordinate relationships among female A. carolinensis may include courtship and reproductive success as an important component, with consequences for the outcome of aggressive and reproductive social interactions with males.

EFFECTS OF HYPOTHALAMIC IMPLANTS OF GONADAL STEROIDS ON COURTSHIP BEHAVIOUR IN BARBARY DOVES (STREPTOPELIA RISORIA)

1971 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. B. HUTCHISON
Keyword(s):  
Testosterone Propionate ◽  
Posterior Hypothalamus ◽  
Gonadal Steroids ◽  
Courtship Behaviour ◽  
Male Courtship ◽  
Courtship Display ◽  
Single Crystalline ◽  
Streptopelia Risoria ◽  
Lateral Hypothalamic ◽  
The Brain

SUMMARY To determine whether the display of male courtship behaviour depends on the action of androgen on discrete areas of the brain, single crystalline implants of testosterone propionate (TP) (mean weight 40 μg) were positioned unilaterally in the brains of castrated male Barbary doves. Implants in the preoptic, anterior hypothalamic and lateral hypothalamic areas induced the full courtship display consisting of chasing, bowing and nestsoliciting. None of these behaviour patterns was re-established at precastration levels measured in terms of duration of display. Durations of courtship displayed by implanted males were similar to those induced by daily intramuscular injections of TP (300 μg/day × 15) into castrated birds. The effectiveness of implants of TP into other regions of the brain could be related to their proximity to the preoptic and anterior hypothalamic regions. There were marked deficits in the pattern of courtship of castrated doves with implants in areas adjacent to the preoptic and anterior hypothalamic regions — the neostriatum intermediale, the area basalis, and posterior hypothalamus; implants more distantly placed in the paleostriatum primitivum and lateral forebrain bundle area did not induce courtship behaviour. Cholesterol implants (59 μg) and blank implant tubing in the preoptic and anterior hypothalamic areas did not affect behaviour. The results obtained were not specific for TP implants; chasing and nest-soliciting displays were also induced by either testosterone implants (51 μg) or oestradiol-17β monobenzoate implants (47 μg). In both cases, the courtship display lacked bowing. It is concluded that the preoptic and anterior hypothalamic areas are directly sensitive to testosterone and that these areas are associated with the control of courtship behaviour.

Male courtship displays and vocal communication in the polygynous bat Carollia perspicillata

Behaviour ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 151 (6) ◽  
pp. 781-798 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirjam Knörnschild ◽  
Marion Feifel ◽  
Elisabeth K.V. Kalko
Keyword(s):  
Vocal Communication ◽  
Mate Recognition ◽  
Courtship Behaviour ◽  
Male Courtship ◽  
Courtship Display ◽  
Carollia Perspicillata ◽  
Fruit Bat ◽  
Distress Calls ◽  
Individual Signature ◽  
Courtship Displays

Male courtship behaviour towards choosy females often comprises elaborate displays that address multiple sensory channels. In bats, detailed quantitative descriptions of multimodal courtship displays are still fairly scarce, despite the taxon’s speciose nature. We studied male courtship behaviour in a polygynous Neotropical bat, Seba’s short-tailed fruit bat Carollia perspicillata, by monitoring harem males in a captive colony. Courting male C. perspicillata performed stereotypic tactile, visual and acoustic displays. A courtship sequence, directed at one female at a time, lasted up to 120 s. During courtship, males approached females by brachiating or flying, hovered in front of them, pursued them on the wing, sniffed them and repeatedly poked the females with one or both folded wings; the latter behaviour was the most conspicuous male courtship display. Immediately before copulation, males wrapped their wings around the females and bit their necks. As acoustic display, courting male C. perspicillata produced highly variable, monosyllabic courtship trills. The species’ vocal repertoire consisted of ten different social vocalisation types, three for benign interactions (courtship trills, wobbles, isolation calls), four for aggressive encounters (aggressive trills, down-sweeps, warbles, distress calls) and the remaining three for unknown behavioural contexts (V-shaped calls, flat down-sweeps, hooks). Courtship trills and aggressive trills were exclusively produced by males. We measured 245 courtship trills of five males and found statistical evidence for a strong individual signature which has the potential to facilitate female choice, mate recognition or neighbour–stranger recognition among male competitors.

scholarly journals Evaluation of pathogenic fungi occurrence in traumatogenic structures of freshwater fish

2011 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 182-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabio Caetano Oliveira Leme ◽  
Marcos Mendes de Barros Negreiros ◽  
Fernando Akira Koga ◽  
Sandra de Moraes Gimenes Bosco ◽  
Eduardo Bagagli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Freshwater Fish ◽  
Fungal Infections ◽  
Pathogenic Fungi ◽  
Dematiaceous Fungi ◽  
Candida Spp ◽  
Pathogenic Potential ◽  
Infection Route ◽  
5.8S Rdna ◽  
Dorsal Fin ◽  
Pimelodus Maculatus

INTRODUCTION: Fungal infections in human skin, such as sporotrichosis, can occur after fish induced trauma. This work aimed to identify fungi in freshwater fish that are pathogenic to humans. METHODS: Extraction of dental arches from Serrassalmus maculatus (piranha) and Hoplias malabaricus (wolf fish), stings from Pimelodus maculatus (mandis catfish), dorsal fin rays from Plagioscion spp. (corvina) and Tilapia spp., for culture in Mycosel agar. Some cultures were submitted to DNA extraction for molecular identification by sequencing ITS-5.8S rDNA. RESULTS: Cultures identified most yeast as Candida spp., while sequencing also permitted the identification of Phoma spp. and Yarrowia lipolytica. CONCLUSIONS: While the search for S. schenckii was negative, the presence of fungus of the genera Phoma and Candida revealed the pathogenic potential of this infection route. The genus Phoma is involved in certain forms of phaeohyphomycosis, a subcutaneous mycosis caused by dematiaceous fungi, with reports of infections in human organs and systems. Traumatizing structures of some freshwater fish present pathogenic fungi and this may be an important infection route that must be considered in some regions of Brazil, since there are a large number of a fisherman in constant contact with traumatogenic fish.

scholarly journals Courtship behaviour influences social partner choice in male guppies

Behaviour ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 157 (10-11) ◽  
pp. 923-947
Author(s):  
Heather L. Auld ◽  
Jean-Guy J. Godin
Keyword(s):  
Poecilia Reticulata ◽  
Public Information ◽  
Partner Choice ◽  
Courtship Behaviour ◽  
Social Partner ◽  
Male Courtship ◽  
Association Preference ◽  
Social Associations ◽  
Courtship Displays ◽  
Social Association

Abstract Although male courtship displays have evolved primarily to sexually attract females, they also generate inadvertent public information that potentially reveals the courter’s relative sexual attractiveness and the perceived quality and sexual receptivity of the female being courted to nearby eavesdropping male competitors, who in turn may use this information to bias their social partner choices. We tested this hypothesis by first presenting individual eavesdropping male guppies (Poecilia reticulata) the opportunity to simultaneously observe two demonstrator males whose courtship behaviour was manipulated experimentally to differ, following which we tested them for their preference to associate socially with either demonstrator males. Test males preferentially associated with the demonstrator male who they had previously observed courting a female over the other (non-courting) demonstrator. This social association preference was not expressed in the absence of a female to court. Our findings highlight the potential for sexual behaviour influencing male-male social associations in nature.

How Long Will Newts Wait? an Experiment To Test an Assumption of a Causal Model of the Courtship of the Male Smooth Newt, Triturus V. Vulgaris

Behaviour ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 116 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 278-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.I. Houston ◽  
T.R. Halliday
Keyword(s):  
Critical Point ◽  
Causal Model ◽  
Courtship Behaviour ◽  
Male Courtship ◽  
Causal Factors ◽  
Smooth Newt ◽  
High Level

AbstractThe NEWTSEX model simulates the behavioural transition between two parts of newt courtship, Retreat Display and Creep, and models the interaction between four causal factors: the behaviour of the female, the male's spermatophore supply, his need for oxygen, and feedback from the male's own behaviour. The model predicts that, if feedback from the female is witheld at a critical point (Tail-touch), the male will revert from Creep to Retreat Display after an interval, the duration of which is proportional to his spermatophore supply. The results of an experiment in which the female's behaviour was controlled support this prediction, but a high level of variance in the results suggests that respiratory constraints on male courtship behaviour require further investigation.

Plasticity in male courtship behaviour as a function of light intensity in guppies

2009 ◽  
Vol 63 (12) ◽  
pp. 1757-1763 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben B. Chapman ◽  
Lesley J. Morrell ◽  
Jens Krause
Keyword(s):  
Light Intensity ◽  
Courtship Behaviour ◽  
Male Courtship

scholarly journals Conservation of fruitless’ role as master regulator of male courtship behaviour from cockroaches to flies

2011 ◽  
Vol 221 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elke Clynen ◽  
Laura Ciudad ◽  
Xavier Bellés ◽  
Maria-Dolors Piulachs
Keyword(s):  
Courtship Behaviour ◽  
Male Courtship ◽  
Master Regulator

scholarly journals Effect of genes, social experience, and their interaction on the courtship behaviour of transgenic Drosophila males

2005 ◽  
Vol 85 (3) ◽  
pp. 183-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
NICOLAS SVETEC ◽  
BENJAMIN HOUOT ◽  
JEAN-FRANÇOIS FERVEUR
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Adult Development ◽  
Strong Interaction ◽  
Social Experience ◽  
Courtship Behaviour ◽  
Male Courtship ◽  
Variable Effect ◽  
Sensory Stimuli ◽  
And Control ◽  
Transgenic Drosophila

Behaviour depends (a) on genes that specify the neural and non-neural elements involved in the perception of and responses to sensory stimuli and (b) on experience that can modulate the fine development of these elements. We exposed transgenic and control Drosophila melanogaster males, and their hybrids, to male siblings during adult development and measured the contribution of genes and of experience to their courtship behaviour. The transgene CheB42a specifically targets male gustatory sensillae and alters the perception of male inhibitory pheromones which leads to frequent male–male interactions. The age at which social experience occurred and the genotype of tester males induced a variable effect on the intensity of male homo- and heterosexual courtship. The strong interaction between the effects of genes and of social experience reveals the plasticity of the apparently stereotyped elements involved in male courtship behaviour. Finally, a high intensity of homosexual courtship was found only in males that simultaneously carried a mutation in their white gene and the CheB42a transgene.

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