Intrasexual Interactions Research Articles

Yellowtail damselfish Chrysiptera parasema can associate predation risk with the acoustic call of a heterospecific damselfish following pairing with conspecific alarm cues.

The ability to detect and respond to the presence of predation risk is under intense selection, especially for small-bodied fishes. Damselfishes (Pomacentridae) use auditory vocalizations during inter- and intrasexual interactions, but it is not known if they can use vocalizations in the context of predator-prey interactions. Here, we test if yellowtail damselfish, Chrysiptera parasema, can learn to associate the territorial vocalization of heterospecific humbug damselfish Dascyllus aruanus with predation risk. In conditioning trials yellowtail damselfish were presented with the territorial call of humbug damselfish while either blank water (control treatment) or chemical alarm cue derived from damaged skin of conspecific yellowtail damselfish was introduced. In conditioning trials, fish exposed to alarm cue exhibited increased activity and spent more time in the water column relative to fish that received the control treatment. After a single conditioning trial, conditioned fish were exposed again to the territorial call of humbug damselfish. Fish conditioned with the call + alarm cue showed increased activity and spent more time in the water column relative to fish that had been conditioned with the control treatment. These data indicate associative learning of an auditory stimulus with predation risk in a species that regularly uses auditory signalling in other contexts. Recordings of conditioning and test trials failed to detect any acoustic calls produced by test fish in response to the perception of predation risk. Thus, although yellowtail damselfish can associate risk with auditory stimuli, we found no evidence that they produce an alarm call.

Male, female, and mixed-sex poplar plantations support divergent soil microbial communities.

Males and females of dioecious plants have sex-specific adaptations to diverse habitats. The effects of inter- and intrasexual interactions in poplar plantations on composition, structure, and function of soil microbiota have not been explored in degraded areas. We conducted a series of greenhouse and field experiments to investigate how belowground competition, soil microbial communities, and seasonal variation nitrogen content differ among female, male, and mixed-sex Populus cathayana plantations. In the greenhouse experiment, female neighbors suppressed the growth of males under optimal nitrogen conditions. However, male neighbors enhanced stable isotope ratio of nitrogen (δ15 N) of females under intersexual competition. In the field, the root length density, root area density, and biomass of fine roots were lower in female plantations than in male or mixed-sex plantations. Bacterial networks of female, male, and mixed-sex plantations were characterized by different composition of hub nodes, including connectors, modules, and network hubs. The sex composition of plantations altered bacterial and fungal community structures according to Bray-Curtis distances, with 44% and 65% of variance explained by the root biomass, respectively. The total soil nitrogen content of mixed-sex plantation was higher than that in female plantation in spring and summer. The mixed-sex plantation also had a higher β-1,4-N-acetyl-glucosaminidase activity in summer and a higher nitrification rate in autumn than the other two plantations. The seasonal soil N content, nitrification rate, and root distribution traits demonstrated spatiotemporal niche separation in the mixed-sex plantation. We argue that a strong female-female competition and limited nitrogen content could strongly impede plant growth and reduce the resistance of monosex plantations to climate change and the mixed-sex plantations constitutes a promising way to restore degraded land.

Sexual Dimorphism Affects Herd Composition in African Antelopes

Herd behaviour is a crucial aspect of antelope development and survival. Understanding determinants of differences in herd composition is necessary to predict patterns of habitation, social interaction, and life history; thus, the possibility of sexual dimorphism acting as a dictator of herd size and composition in African antelope was explored. Sexual dimorphism is a key factor in determining intersexual and intrasexual interactions, which can create selection pressures driving divergence in behavioural and social traits. Consequently, it was predicted that sexually dimorphic species would exhibit increased social behaviour and be found in larger groups when compared to sexually monomorphic species. Two closely related species, sexually dimorphic impalas and non-sexually dimorphic hartebeests were compared using 60 camera trap photos obtained through the WildCam Gorongosa project to determine if there was a difference in herd size and the number of young observed. It was discovered that impalas were found in larger groups than hartebeests and that there was no difference in the proportion of offspring. This discrepancy can be attributed to sexually dimorphic females needing to group together for protection against predation as they lack horns for self-protection. Group size differences can imply tendencies to inhabit different habitats and exhibit unique social interactions within the herd while foraging. These findings are key in understanding herd behaviour in African antelopes and can be applied to accurately track and monitor antelope species’ success in relation to conservation.

Sex-specific competition differently regulates the response of the rhizosphere fungal community of Hippophae rhamnoides-A dioecious plant, under Mn stress.

In this study, we investigated the soil physicochemical parameters and responses of rhizospheric fungal communities of Hippophae rhamnoides to Mn stress under different sexual competition patterns. The results showed that competition significantly affects soil physicochemical properties, enzyme activity, and rhizosphere-associated fungal community structures. Under Mn stress, soils with intersexual competition had higher levels of N supply than those with the intrasexual competition. Moreover, fungal communities under intersexual interaction were more positive to Mn stress than intrasexual interaction. Under intrasexual competition, female plants had higher total phosphorus content, neutral phosphatase activity, and relative abundance of symbiotic fungi in soils to obtain phosphorus nutrients to alleviate Mn stress. In contrast, male plants had relatively stable fungal communities in soils. In the intersexual competition, rhizosphere fungal diversity and relative abundance of saprophytic fungi in male plants were significantly higher than in female plants under Mn stress. In addition, female plants showed greater plasticity in the response of rhizosphere microorganisms to their neighbors of different sexes. The microbial composition in soils of female plants varied more than male plants between intrasexual and intersexual competition. These results indicated that sex-specific competition and neighbor effects regulate the microbial community structure and function of dioecious plants under heavy metal stress, which might affect nutrient cycling and phytoremediation potential in heavy metal-contaminated soils.

Differences among reciprocal hybrids of Labeotropheus.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10750-022-05092-4.

Inferring Social Interactions Over a Lifespan from Space-Use Patterns in a Tropical Agamid

Establishing the social system of a population is key to studying the evolution of behaviors. However, observations of social interactions needed to infer social systems are difficult to obtain for many species. An alternative way of understanding social systems is by studying the space-use pattern of individuals. Along with ecological factors, space use is largely governed by interactions among individuals: typically, competing individuals avoid each other, and individuals benefitting from each other share space. We investigated the social system, specifically the mating system, and the nature of intrasexual interactions between adults, by quantifying space-use patterns of individuals over their adult lifespan in the tropical Psammophilus dorsalis lizard. Males had substantially larger home ranges than females during the mating season, but not during the nonmating season. Female home ranges were small, and showed minimal overlap with other females throughout their lifespan, suggesting consistent intrasexual competition among females. In contrast, males showed minimal overlap with other males in the nonmating season but increased overlap in the mating season, suggesting that males resolve intrasexual competition through other means, like contests, during the mating season. Patterns of overlap between male and female home ranges in the mating season indicated a socially polygynous mating system. Our study provides an initial understanding of home-range patterns and associated inferences of within- and between-sex interactions across the lifespan of a tropical lizard, Psammophilus dorsalis. It highlights the insights into the social structure of a population gained from dispersion patterns of individuals.

Morphological variation and reproductive isolation in the Hetaerina americana species complex

Incomplete premating barriers in closely related species may result in reproductive interference. This process has different fitness consequences and can lead to three scenarios: niche segregation, sexual exclusion, or reproductive character displacement. In morphologically cryptic species, isolation barriers can be difficult to recognize. Here, we analyzed the morphological, behavioral, and genetic differences between two sympatric cryptic species of the genus Hetaerina to determine the characters that contribute the most to reproductive isolation and the effect of the high rates of behavior interference between the species. We found complete genetic isolation and significant differences in the morphometry of caudal appendages and wing shape, as well as body size variation between species. In contrast, we did not find clear differences in the coloration of the wing spot and observed high rates of interspecific aggression. Our results suggest that divergence in the shape of the caudal appendages is the principal pre-mating barrier that prevents interspecific mating. Moreover, a scenario of character displacement on body size was found. Nevertheless, size could play an important role in both inter- and intrasexual interactions and, therefore, we cannot differentiate if it has resulted from reproductive or aggressive interference.

Mycophagous beetle females do not behave competitively during intrasexual interactions in presence of a fungal resource.

Intrasexual interactions can determine which individuals within a population have access to limited resources. Despite their potential importance on fitness generally and mating success especially, female–female interactions are not often measured in the same species where male–male interactions are well‐defined. In this study, we characterized female–female interactions in Bolitotherus cornutus, a mycophagous beetle species native to Northeastern North America. We used dyadic, behavioral assays to determine whether females perform directly aggressive or indirectly exclusionary competitive behaviors. Polypore shelf fungus, an important food and egg‐laying resource for B. cornutus females, is patchily distributed and of variable quality, so we tested for competition over fungus as a resource. Behavior of females was assessed in three sets of dyadic trials with randomly paired female partners. Overall, females did not behave aggressively toward their female partner or perform exclusionary behaviors over the fungal resource. None of the behaviors performed by females were individually repeatable. Two scenarios may explain our lack of observed competition: our trial context may not induce competition, or female B. cornutus simply may not behave competitively in the wild. We compare our results to a similar study on male–male interactions in the same species and propose future studies on female–female interactions under different competitive contexts to expand the understanding of female competition.

Is horn length crucial for Alpine chamois?

AbstractAnimal weapons are one of the most studied morphological traits, particularly in Artiodactyla. Since in polygynous species males with larger weapons tend to be more successful in gaining access to females, researchers have traditionally focused on horn size. However, in species with limited horn size, weapon size has been assumed to have a reduced or null effect on life history traits. We examined the effect of intrinsic and extrinsic factors on the length of the second and third segments of Alpine chamois horns (Rupicapra rupicapra) in a population living in a poor environment. Our aim was to test how environmental conditions affected weapon growth and whether compensatory growth occurred. We showed that horn length was isometric to body size, although male horns grew more quickly. Ecological factors such as snow and forage availability affected weapon length, though mildly. No sign of compensatory growth was detected. We inferred that chamois mainly use horns as armament in intrasexual interactions. However, horn length was not a key element since horn growth remained isometric, at least under suboptimal ecological conditions. In species without extreme weapons, the handicap caused by longer horns is likely not compensated by an increase in individual fitness.

Female choice and male aggression in the polymorphic lizard Sceloporus minor

AbstractIn comparison with some other vertebrate groups, female choice in lizards is relatively poorly understood. In contrast, aggressive behavior in lizards has been better studied; nevertheless, there are many genera and even whole families for which little or no information on aggressive behavior has been described. Therefore, the objective of this study was to experimentally evaluate the importance of morphometric traits, body coloration, and behavioral attributes of male Sceloporus minor from a population in central Mexico in order to (1) determine whether female choice exists in this species, and if so, identify which features of males females are using to do so, and (2) identify the phenotypic features of males that predict dominance status in contests between dominant and subordinate males. We found that females of S. minor indeed show a preference for males on the basis of ventral patch color; specifically, females chose males with ventral patches of Spectrum Blue or True Blue over males with ventral patches of other blue hues, but found no evidence of choice based on other morphological characters examined. Results also showed that winner (i.e., dominant) males exhibited more aggressive behaviors and were larger in body size than subordinate (i.e., loser) males. Notably, we found no support for a role of male polymorphic dorsal coloration on either female choice or male contest outcome. The results of this study showed evidence of female choice and male‐male competition, suggesting that in this population, males exhibit intrasexual interactions to compete for resources such as territories and produce displays that serve in part to attract females.

Intrasexual Vibrational Behavior of Philaenus spumarius in Semi-Field Conditions.

Simple SummaryVibrational communication is widespread in insects. Since most studies of intrasexual behavior on insects have targeted few individuals, the behaviors occurring within groups have been left unexplored. Including multiple individuals in behavioral studies on vibrational communication would provide more reliable information about their intrasexual behavior. In semi-field conditions, the intrasexual behavior of the meadow spittlebug, Philaenus spumarius, was studied. Using a laser vibrometer, we recorded vibrational signals exchanged among individuals of the same sex, throughout their adult stage and during the day, from the morning to the evening. The results showed that males were less active than females and the interactions among males were less frequent than among females. Intrasexual interactions were characterized by signal overlapping in both unisex groups, in addition to signal alternating only in the case of males. This study provided a better understanding of the social behavior of P. spumarius based on vibrational signals.Insects that communicate by vibrational signals live in a complex interactive network of communication. Most studies on insect intrasexual behavior, based on plant-borne vibrational signals, have targeted few individuals. Despite their importance, behaviors that occur within groups were often overlooked. The study of multiple individuals, when insects occur in high density could simulate the environment in which they live and provide more reliable information on their behavior. In semi-field conditions, we investigated the intrasexual behavior of the meadow spittlebug, Philaenus spumarius. Vibrational signals exchanged among individuals of the same sex were recorded throughout their adult stage, from late spring to early autumn, and during the day, from the morning to the evening using a laser vibrometer. Males were less active than females throughout the season and their interactions were less frequent compared to females. Intrasexual interactions were characterized by signal overlapping in both unisex groups, in addition to signal alternating only in the case of males. In conclusion, the study of signaling behavior in intrasexual groups contributed to a better understanding of P. spumarius social behavior. We discuss the hypothesis of a possible competitive behavior between males and cooperative behavior between females.

The costs of social interaction on survival and reproduction of arrhenotokous spider mite Tetranychus urticae

The social environment (especially interactions with other conspecifics) experienced by animals is a key factor influencing their behaviour and even fitness. Traditionally intersexual interaction has been the main focus, whereas the costs of intrasexual interaction have not been adequately studied. In this study the influence of both intersexual and intrasexual interactions on the survival of both sexes in an arrhenotokous spider mite Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae) were determined. The reproductive performance of females in different social environments were also investigated. The results show that for both sexes, isolated individuals outlived their counterparts when compared with paired conspecifics, indicating that the cost of interaction with the same sex and the opposite sex have negative consequences for fitness (e.g. females involved in intrasexual interaction showed reduced fecundity). These findings highlight fitness cost(s) of social interactions on the lifespan and reproduction of organisms. Both intrasexual and intersexual interactions can be important determinants in shaping the fitness of animals.

Chemical signal divergence among populations influences behavioral discrimination in the whiptail lizard Aspidoscelis lineattissimus (squamata: teiidae)

Signal divergence and sensory preferences may lead to sexual isolation and eventually promote speciation between animal populations. However, few studies have quantified the degree of chemical signal divergence and scent-mediated sexual isolation in lizard populations. Geographic and ecological variations among populations of the whiptail lizard Aspidoscelis lineattissimus suggest that there might be chemical signal divergence among these populations. Here, we used gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to characterize and compare the chemical composition of the femoral gland secretions of male whiptail lizards of four populations from a western region of Mexico and, through behavioral experiments, explored the effects of lizard scents on precopulatory behaviors and intrasexual male-male chemical recognition among populations. Our results showed that males of each population contain a divergent mixture of compounds in their femoral gland secretions. Differential chemosensory behavior indicated that male and female lizards discriminated and were more attracted to scents of lizards from their same population. Although females also seem to discriminate male scents between populations, their associated preference to territories scent-marked by males of their own population is different between regions (eastern vs western) and not between populations. We suggest that between some populations of A. lineattissimus there may be partial premating isolation mediated by chemical signals and behavioral divergence. Geographic variation in sexual signals can strongly affect discrimination and recognition abilities among reproductive individuals from divergent populations, resulting in sexual isolation and speciation. Studies suggest that reproductive isolation and speciation in lizard systems may be mediated by chemical signals, male mate preferences, and male-male interactions but not by female mate preferences. Using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry techniques and behavioral experiments, we found that chemical divergence in femoral gland secretions of male Aspidoscelis lineattissimus influences behavioral discrimination among four distinct populations. Males and females recognized and responded more toward lizard scents from their own population. In addition, some female populations were able to discriminate between territories scent-marked by males from different populations. We suggest that chemical and behavioral differences between populations may influence partial premating isolation, which can be mediated by inter and intrasexual interactions.

Emergence of Alternative Reproductive Tactics in Simulated Robot Colonies

Alternative reproductive behaviour, in which individuals of one sex adopt different ways to reproduce, is observed in all major taxa, including mammals, amphibians, insects, and particularly fishes. In order to study ecological conditions for emergence of alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs), we developed an embodied evolution framework incorporating ecological features, such as body size and energy maintenance, where male and female robotic agents naturally face both intersexual and intrasexual interactions for survival and reproduction. We performed simulation experiments in environments with different conditions (food density, reproductive cost, and male-female ratio) and found that ARTs emerged both in males and females. Males evolved three kinds of alternative tactics: fixed, genetically distinct ARTs, in which dominant and sneaker males that differ in body size adopt different tactics to gain access to females, conditionally flexible ARTs, in which individuals change tactics according to body size, and mixed ARTs, in which combinations of genetically fixed and conditionally flexible ARTs are employed. Females evolved two genetically distinct ARTs: quality-oriented female, QoF, and number-oriented female, NoF, in which females increase fitness either by offspring quality or quantity, respectively. Analysis of results confirms the experimental notions that genetically fixed male ARTs are strongly affected by intensity of sexual selection. Conditionally flexible male ARTs are significantly affected by competition level, and female ARTs are mainly affected by food availability. To our knowledge, this study is the first to demonstrate emergence of ARTs in both males and females from an initially monomorphic population in a simulated, embodied evolution framework.

Intra- and intersexual interactions shape microbial community dynamics in the rhizosphere of Populus cathayana females and males exposed to excess Zn

In this study, we intended to investigate the responses of rhizospheric bacterial communities of Populus cathayana to excess Zn under different planting patterns. The results suggested that intersexual and intrasexual interactions strongly affect plant growth and Zn extraction in both sexes, as well as rhizosphere-associated bacterial community structures. Females had a higher capacity of Zn accumulation and translocation than males under all planting patterns. Males had lower Zn accumulation and translocation under intersexual than under intrasexual interaction; the contrary was true for females. Females harbored abundant Streptomyces and Nocardioides in their rhizosphere, similarly to males under intersexual interaction, but differed from single-sex males under excess Zn. Conversely, intersexual interaction increased the abundance of key taxa Actinomycetales and Betaproteobacteria in both sexes exposed to excess Zn. Males improved the female rhizospheric microenvironment by increasing the abundance of some key tolerance taxa of Chloroflexi, Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria in both sexes under excess Zn in intersexual interaction. These results indicated that the sex of neighboring plants affected sexual differences in the choice of specific bacterial colonizations for phytoextraction and tolerance to Zn-contaminated soils, which might regulate the spatial segregation and phytoremediation potential of P. cathayana females and males under heavy metal contaminated soils.

Ontogenetic habitat shifts reduce costly male–male interactions

Ontogenetic habitat shifts are predicted to increase the fitness and survival of individuals by allowing effective utilization of spatially distributed resources. Evidence supports nutritional requirements and predation pressure as drivers of habitat shifts. Likewise, intraspecific interactions are thought to lead to ontogenetic habitat shifts, however, empirical evidence is lacking. Here, we test if intraspecific male–male interactions are responsible for ontogenetic habitat shifts in Xanthagrion erythroneurum, a damselfly that undergoes developmental colour change. The juvenile males are yellow and change colour to red with sexual maturity. Field observations showed that the proportion of juvenile males is higher in adjacent woods than in primary mating arenas by ponds. We measured male–male interactions by the pond and in the woods, predicting the habitat switch would reduce male antagonistic interactions such as male aggression and male–male mating attempts. We showed that juvenile males receive less aggression in woods than at the pond mating arena. We conclude that lower population density and lower male encounter rates in the woods reduce the cost of male aggression for juvenile males. Our study provides evidence that stage-dependent habitat choice resulting from intrasexual antagonistic interactions may drive ontogenetic habitat shifts.

Underwater noise impairs social communication during aggressive and reproductive encounters

Human-generated noise pollution is of global concern, as designated by the World Health Organization ( WHO, 2011 , Burden of disease from environmental noise: Quantification of healthy life years lost in Europe. https://www.who.int/quantifying_ehimpacts/publications/e94888/en/). Increases in shipping, sonar use, pile driving, and more have all contributed to a rise in ambient underwater sound levels. Unfortunately, continuous low-intensity sounds, like shipping noise, are pervasive in shallow-shore environments where many social species live and correspond to the frequency ranges at which many fishes produce and detect acoustic stimuli. Noise has the potential to alter the sender's production of the signal, mask the signal itself (if acoustic), or change the receiver's physiology. We hypothesized that continuous tonal noise would impair social interactions and communication. To test this, we used highly social African cichlid fish, Astatotilapia burtoni, to examine inter- and intrasexual interactions that occurred in a control or noisy environment (pure tones of 100–2000 Hz). During reproductive interactions, we found that males changed the location of their courtship behaviours. Instead of producing courtship quivers (and associated sounds) immediately next to gravid females, males produced these behaviours inside their spawning shelter. This change in location decreases the likelihood of the female detecting it. Also detrimental to acoustic communication, we found that noise-exposed gravid females had lower hearing sensitivity at 100–200 Hz, a major component of male courtship sounds. In addition, males changed their visual displays during male–male territorial interactions such that they spent more time with their eyebar displayed, suggesting an increase in visual signalling. Together, these data indicate that noise may impact all three components of social communication: signal production, signal reception and the signal itself, and highlights a possible cross-modal impact of noise on visual signalling. Subtle changes to social behaviours and communication, rather than dramatic effects such as injury or mortality, are important to evaluating sublethal impacts of noise on reproductive success and species survival.

Loss of cultural song diversity and the convergence of songs in a declining Hawaiian forest bird community.

The effects of population decline on culturally transmitted behaviours in animals have rarely been described, but may have major implications to population viability. Learned vocal signals in birds are of critical importance to behaviours associated with reproduction, intrasexual interactions and group cohesion, and the complexity of vocal signals such as song can serve as an honest signal of an individual's quality as well as the viability of a population. In this study, we examined how rapid population declines recently experienced by Hawaiian honeycreepers on the island of Kaua‘i (USA) may have influenced the diversity, complexity and similarity of learned honeycreeper songs. We analysed the acoustic characteristics of songs recorded during three time periods over a 40-year time frame for three species of declining Kaua‘i honeycreepers. We detected a loss of song complexity and diversity over the 40-year time period that paralleled dramatic population declines. Concurrent with the loss of complexity, we also found that the acoustic characteristics of the three honeycreepers' songs became more similar to one another. To our knowledge, this is the first documentation of convergence of acoustic characteristics among rapidly declining species. The reduction in song complexity and diversity and convergence of songs not only signals a loss of culturally transmitted behaviours in these endemic Hawaiian honeycreepers, but also potential challenges to the recovery of these rapidly declining species. Moreover, the present study highlights that there is a ‘hidden’ cost to declining populations beyond just the loss of individuals that is not often considered, the loss of culturally transmitted social behaviours.

Parasitism and alternative reproductive tactics in Northern chamois.

Alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs), discrete phenotypic variations evolved to maximize fitness, may entail different cost‐benefit trade‐offs. In large mammals, differences in costs associated with ARTs—including energy expenditure and parasite infection—are typically greatest during the breeding season. Nonetheless, physiological and behavioral differences between ARTs can manifest throughout the year, possibly involving costs that may contribute to maintain ARTs within populations. Using the number of nematode larvae per gram of feces (LPG) as a proxy, we explored the temporal changes in lung parasite infection in territorial and nonterritorial male chamois Rupicapra in the Gran Paradiso National Park (Italy), between 2011 and 2012. We aimed to identify which tactic‐specific physiological and behavioral features (including age, hormonal levels, inter‐ and intrasexual interactions, and space use) or climatic factors (temperature and precipitation) best explained yearly variation in parasite infection within and between ARTs. Generalized additive mixed models showed that the fecal larval counts of lung nematodes underwent strong temporal changes in both male types. Differences between ARTs (with higher LPG values in territorial than nonterritorial males) were greatest during the rut and—to a lesser extent—in spring, respectively, at the peak and at the onset of territoriality. The difference in LPG between tactics was largely explained by the greater levels of hormone metabolites in territorial males during the rut. The other variables did not contribute significantly to explain the different shedding of larvae within and between ARTs. Our analysis suggests that different values of LPG between territorial and nonterritorial males are largely a result of tactic‐specific differences in the secretion of hormone metabolites, but only during the rut. To clarify whether rut‐related parasitism contributes to the maintenance of ARTs, tactic‐specific life history trade‐offs, for example, between reproduction and parasite‐related mortality, must be investigated.

Aggression, color signaling, and performance of the male color morphs of a Brazilian lizard (Tropidurus semitaeniatus)

Behavior can help to establish dominance in intrasexual interactions, preventing more costly aggressive interactions and improving access to mates. Distinct color morphs often correlate with behavior, driving differential reproductive success between them. The lizard Tropidurus semitaeniatus usually expresses two male color morphs, Yellow or Black. It is likely that morphs play a role in reproduction, which is still unexplored. Here, we test whether there is morph-related dominance during intrasexual interactions. We used ex situ behavioral trials to test whether a particular morph shows dominance, gathering dominance by attributing scores to aggressive/evasive behaviors. We also tested whether winner individuals show higher performance (sprint speed), and whether spectrophotometric measures of body coloration predict winners of male encounters. Morphs showed differences in behaviors suggesting alternative behavioral tactics: Black males behave more aggressively and less evasively while Yellow males show the opposite sets of behavior. Black males also tend to be dominant, but dominants do not show higher sprint speeds than submissive males. Chest coloration, often displayed during encounters, highly predicts winnings (particularly high yellow chroma and low lightness and UV). Our results show that lizards signal competitive condition by behaviorally exposing their chest. Males displaying more head bobs and with darker chests are more likely to win encounters. Our results suggest that Yellow males might undertake a sneaker tactic, preventing aggression costs by evasiveness even though they might perform similarly to Black males. Further studies should address whether female preference is biased in relation to male morphs and its colorations, which would suggest selective processes towards costly signals and morph maintenance. In the struggle for survival and reproduction, often, there is no single best strategy and multiple distinct tactics may evolve. Behavior, color signaling, and performance are frequently correlated with distinct color morphs, which can coexist as alternative mating tactics. However, studies that are able to integrate all these traits are scarce. Here, we test whether different color morphs of the lizard Tropidurus semitaeniatus show different behaviors and dominance patterns. We also test whether these color morphs differ in their performances (sprint speed) and visual signaling (behavioral displays and intensity of coloration). We demonstrate that Black and Yellow-morph males adopt distinct behavioral tactics: an aggressive (Black-morph) and an evasive (Yellow-morph) tactic. We also show that dominance is highly correlated to chest’s intensity of dark yellow colorations and that lizards signal their dominance status through displays of head bob bouts.