Sexual Selection in Mosquitofish: Differences in the Use of Mating Cues Between Sexes
Sexual selection is a major driver of speciation and evolution, with mate choice being a key component. Individuals assess mate quality by integrating various mating cues. The Western mosquitofish (<i>Gambusia affinis</i>), a species exhibiting pronounced sexual dimorphism in body size a...
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MDPI AG
2025-05-01
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| author | Jiefei Wei Bowen Feng Chenglong Dong Bojian Chen Kai Liu |
| author_facet | Jiefei Wei Bowen Feng Chenglong Dong Bojian Chen Kai Liu |
| author_sort | Jiefei Wei |
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| description | Sexual selection is a major driver of speciation and evolution, with mate choice being a key component. Individuals assess mate quality by integrating various mating cues. The Western mosquitofish (<i>Gambusia affinis</i>), a species exhibiting pronounced sexual dimorphism in body size and secondary sexual traits, serves as an ideal model for studying mate choice. This study examines the impact of mating cues on mate choice in different sexes of <i>G. affinis</i> through a combination of morphological parameter database construction, computer-simulated animations, and dichotomous association preference tests. The results showed that male gonopodium status significantly affects female mate choice. Females exhibited a preference for males with resting-phase gonopodia, suggesting their aversion to forced copulation and sexual harassment in coercive mating systems. Furthermore, males preferred younger females, with this preference being positively correlated with male body size. This suggests that males are sensitive to sperm competition intensity and may base their choice on social rank. Geometric morphometric analysis and simulation experiments showed that males preferred females with larger gravid spots, regardless of age, suggesting that gravid spot size reflects female fecundity. Male preference for younger females with streamlined bodies and smaller abdomens was significant, but body size did not affect mate choice in general. Our findings highlight that female and male <i>G. affinis</i> employ different mate choice strategies, with females prioritizing male harassment avoidance and males considering multiple mating cues, not solely one dominant characteristic, in their mate choice decisions. These findings demonstrate that mate choice in <i>G. affinis</i> involves balancing conflicting preferences for traits associated with reduced harassment risk (e.g., resting-phase gonopodium in males) and those linked to reproductive potential (e.g., large gravid spot in females), highlighting the nuanced decision-making processes in both sexes. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Kabale University |
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| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
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| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj-art-4fffa0519b8a4df5916b484049f9d75d2025-08-20T03:47:52ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152025-05-011510148910.3390/ani15101489Sexual Selection in Mosquitofish: Differences in the Use of Mating Cues Between SexesJiefei Wei0Bowen Feng1Chenglong Dong2Bojian Chen3Kai Liu4Fisheries College, Jimei University, Xiamen 361021, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Mariculture Breeding, Fisheries College, Jimei University, Xiamen 361021, ChinaCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, ChinaDepartment of Biology, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7P 3N6, CanadaFisheries College, Jimei University, Xiamen 361021, ChinaSexual selection is a major driver of speciation and evolution, with mate choice being a key component. Individuals assess mate quality by integrating various mating cues. The Western mosquitofish (<i>Gambusia affinis</i>), a species exhibiting pronounced sexual dimorphism in body size and secondary sexual traits, serves as an ideal model for studying mate choice. This study examines the impact of mating cues on mate choice in different sexes of <i>G. affinis</i> through a combination of morphological parameter database construction, computer-simulated animations, and dichotomous association preference tests. The results showed that male gonopodium status significantly affects female mate choice. Females exhibited a preference for males with resting-phase gonopodia, suggesting their aversion to forced copulation and sexual harassment in coercive mating systems. Furthermore, males preferred younger females, with this preference being positively correlated with male body size. This suggests that males are sensitive to sperm competition intensity and may base their choice on social rank. Geometric morphometric analysis and simulation experiments showed that males preferred females with larger gravid spots, regardless of age, suggesting that gravid spot size reflects female fecundity. Male preference for younger females with streamlined bodies and smaller abdomens was significant, but body size did not affect mate choice in general. Our findings highlight that female and male <i>G. affinis</i> employ different mate choice strategies, with females prioritizing male harassment avoidance and males considering multiple mating cues, not solely one dominant characteristic, in their mate choice decisions. These findings demonstrate that mate choice in <i>G. affinis</i> involves balancing conflicting preferences for traits associated with reduced harassment risk (e.g., resting-phase gonopodium in males) and those linked to reproductive potential (e.g., large gravid spot in females), highlighting the nuanced decision-making processes in both sexes.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/10/1489mate choicecoercive mating systemmating cues<i>Gambusia affinis</i> |
| spellingShingle | Jiefei Wei Bowen Feng Chenglong Dong Bojian Chen Kai Liu Sexual Selection in Mosquitofish: Differences in the Use of Mating Cues Between Sexes Animals mate choice coercive mating system mating cues <i>Gambusia affinis</i> |
| title | Sexual Selection in Mosquitofish: Differences in the Use of Mating Cues Between Sexes |
| title_full | Sexual Selection in Mosquitofish: Differences in the Use of Mating Cues Between Sexes |
| title_fullStr | Sexual Selection in Mosquitofish: Differences in the Use of Mating Cues Between Sexes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sexual Selection in Mosquitofish: Differences in the Use of Mating Cues Between Sexes |
| title_short | Sexual Selection in Mosquitofish: Differences in the Use of Mating Cues Between Sexes |
| title_sort | sexual selection in mosquitofish differences in the use of mating cues between sexes |
| topic | mate choice coercive mating system mating cues <i>Gambusia affinis</i> |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/10/1489 |
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