Mating and aggressive behaviour of Brachyrhaphis olomina (Cyprinodontiformes: Poeciliidae)

Carlos A Garita-Alvarado,Gilbert Barrantes,Beatriz Naranjo-Elizondo

doi:10.1007/s10164-017-0523-y

Carlos A Garita-Alvarado, Gilbert Barrantes + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10164-017-0523-y

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Abstract

Despite the increasing interest in the use of intromittent male genitalia and coercive mating behaviour in poeciliids, detailed studies of the mating behaviour of most species in this family are lacking. We describe here the mating and aggressive behaviours of Brachyrhaphis olomina, and correlate them with the condition of the female’s ovum and embryos (immature, mature and pregnant). B. olomina performed a wide range of aggressive (sidle spread, tail beating, coordinate) and mating behaviours (approximation, touch, lateral display, touch-lateral display). Some behaviours (e.g. tail beating) are shared with other poeciliids, but two sexual behaviours (touch and lateral display) and one aggressive (coordinate) behaviour may be unique to B. olomina and were not reported in a previous study. Differences in male behaviour when paired with a female with mature ovum (more mating displays, no agonistic movements) suggest that males detect the female’s reproductive condition from some distance. The distinctive nature of mating behaviour in B. olomina highlights the importance of studying different species to have a better understanding of the evolution of mating and aggressive behaviours in poeciliids. Digital video images related to the article are available at http://www.momo-p.com/showdetail-e.php?movieid=momo170720bo01a, http://www.momo-p.com/showdetail-e.php?movieid=momo170720bo02a and http://www.momo-p.com/showdetail-e.php?movieid=momo170720bo03a.

Highlights

The live-bearing fish subfamily Poeciliinae (Ghedotti 2000) is a diverse group of small fishes, in which males are unusual in having a gonopodium used to transfer sperm to females during copulation
We describe here the mating and aggressive behaviours of Brachyrhaphis olomina, and correlate them with the condition of the female’s ovum and embryos
We included in the analyses the following behaviours as response variables: (1) approximation ? approximation attempt, and (2) touch ? touch attempt ? lateral display ? touch-lateral display (T–Lateral display (LD))

Summary

Introduction

The live-bearing fish subfamily Poeciliinae (Ghedotti 2000) is a diverse group of small fishes, in which males are unusual in having a gonopodium (modification of the anal fin rays 3, 4 and 5) used to transfer sperm to females during copulation. Schlosberg et al (1949) and Clark et al (1954) described the mating behaviour and its differences between Xiphophorus helleri and Xiphophorus maculatus Both species show ‘arcing’ (Schlosberg et al 1949) or ‘backing’ (Clark et al 1954) behaviour, in which the male stays in front of the female with its fins erect and quivering, with the body often rigidly bent in a sigmoid pattern, and swims backward toward the female. Behaviours described for other poeciliids, and to answer whether there is any effect of the reproductive condition of females on male mating behaviour in this species

Materials and methods

Results

Discussion

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