Predictability is attractive: Female preference for behaviourally consistent males but no preference for the level of male aggression in a bi-parental cichlid.

ABSTRACT: Although personality traits can largely affect individual fitness we know little about the evolutionary forces generating and maintaining personality variation. Here, we investigated the hypothesis that personality variation in aggression is sexually selected in the monogamous, bi-parental cichlid Pelvicachromis pulcher. In this species, breeding pairs form territories and they aggressively defend their territory and offspring against con- and heterospecific intruders. In our mate choice study, we followed up two alternative hypotheses. We either expected females to show a directional preference for a high level and high consistency of aggression (potentially indicating mate choice for male parental quality). Alternatively, we expected females to choose males for (dis-)similarity in the le

SUBMITTER: Scherer U 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5892930 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature