Anal fin pigmentation in Brachyrhaphis fishes is not used for sexual mimicry.

ABSTRACT: Mimicry can occur in several contexts, including sexual interactions. In some cases, males mimic females to gain access to potential mates. In contrast, there are relatively few examples of species where females mimic males, and we know very little about what drives these patterns. Two hypotheses have been advanced to explain female mimicry of males. The first is that mimicry is used to reduce harassment of females by males. The second is that mimicry is used to display dominance over other females. In this study, we tested these hypotheses in Brachyrhaphis fishes, wherein females of several species have pigmentation on their anal fin of the same coloration and shape, and in the same location, as the genitalia of males. To test if female mimicry of males reduces male harassment, we experim

SUBMITTER: Flanary KM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5858833 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature