Male–male competition facilitates female choice in sticklebacks

Abstract

In many species, secondary sexual characteristics are used in both male–male competition and in attracting females. This suggests that social control of deception could contribute to the maintenance of honest sexual signalling. In the three–spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus , male red breeding coloration plays a dual role in sexual selection by functioning as both a threat signal in male–male competition and as a cue for female choice. To investigate whether male competition determines the level of signalling, the expression of red coloration and courtship activity were recorded both before and after male interactions. The results show that male competition influences signal expression by increasing the difference between males in signalling level. This in turn facilitates female choice and induces a preference for dominant males. Since a preference for dominant males may benefit females both directly and indirectly in this species with exclusively paternal care, male–male competition seems to increase the honesty of signalling and, thus, facilitates female choice in relation to male quality. This may increase the intensity of sexual selection and promote the evolution of breeding aggregations.