Abstract
SUMMARY A description has been given of the communicative activities and colour patterns occurring during the reproductive behaviour of Tilapia mariae (Boulanger). The temporal relationships between the various activities and between the activities and colour patterns in this fish has been quantitatively studied with the aim of testing whether behaviour systems can be distinguished which, in interaction with each other, bring about agonistic, sexual and parental behaviour. The evidence obtained fits the hypothesis that at least three factors are involved in the causation of the reproductive displays, namely a tendency to stay in, and defend a territory (characterized by colour pattern B in Fig. 4), a tendency to stay in a certain place but to escape attack (characterized by overall darkness of the body, colour pattern C in Fig. 4), and a tendency to move about and aggregate in a school (characterized by colour pattern A in Fig. 4).
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