Are spotting patterns used as a cue in mate choice and species recognition in the livebearing fish Poeciliopsis baenschi?

Authors: Laura E. Scott, Ashley Camargo, Kent Stilson, Jerald B. Johnson

Year: 2008 (xl)

Abstract

Conspecific mate recognition in sympatric environments should be strongly selected for to avoid the deleterious effects of hybridization with other species. Cues used in mate choice recognition can include stereotypic behaviors or pigmentation patterns. In the livebearing fish genus Poeciliopsis, species vary significantly in their pigmentation patterns. Most patterns include horizontal and vertical bars, spots, a combination of the both, or no observed pattern. Poesciliopsis baenschi, is a species found in central-western Mexico that co-occurs with a close relative, P. turneri. Both species are superficially similar in their pigmentation patterns; they are described as having 3-7 or 6-10 (respectively) bars or spots on their lateral flank. However, given that these species exist in sympatry, we suspect that subtle differences in their pigmentation patterns could play a role in mate choice or conspecific recognition. In this study, we test the hypothesis that spotting patterns are more different in sympatry than in allopatry by quantifying variation in pigmentation patterns between allopatric and sympatric populations. This work preludes our current research to determine in live fish if differences in spotting patterns are actually used as cues in mate choice and species recognition.