Short-term change in male sexually selected traits and female mate preference in the guppy Poecilia reticulata.

摘要

Some recent theoretical studies predict the plasticity of female preferences for male sexual ornaments. However, only little empirical information is available regarding changes in female preferences within a short period in the wild. In this study, we examined the short-term change in the exaggeration of sexually selected traits in males and intensity of female preferences in the guppy Poecilia reticulata of a wild population in Okinawa, Japan. We collected adult guppies from a single collection site with an interval of 2-3 months. The results indicated that the degrees of exaggeration of male sexually selected traits, such as orange spot patterns and body size, changed with an interval of 2-3 months. The intensity of female preferences in each collection term was quantified by a laboratory experiment using an identical pair of digitally modified male images. The intensity of female preferences for the conspicuous male image also changed with an interval of 2-3 months. Males that were collected in July exhibited the greatest degree of exaggeration of sexually selected traits. On the other hand, males that were collected in April showed a smaller degree of exaggeration of these traits; however, females that were captured in April exhibited the greatest mate preferences for the conspicuous male image.Digital Object Identifier http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10228-011-0239-x