Presentation Details
| Sexual Selection on Social Plasticity Differs Between Alternative Types in Wild Fish Species Megan M.Molinari1, Susan E.Marsh-Rollo1, 2, Suzanne H.Alonzo1. 1University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA.2McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada |
Abstract
Social plasticity- the ability to change behavior in response to a shifting social environment- can strongly influence reproductive success. Despite its importance, few studies have examined whether differences in social plasticity among individuals affects reproductive success. We estimated social plasticity and reproductive success in a fish species with alternative male reproductive types, Symphodus ocellatus, by measuring their behavior before and after removing reproductive competitors in the wild. We asked (1) whether individuals vary in social plasticity and (2) whether sexual selection on plasticity differs between male types. Only subordinate males showed greater among-individual variation in plasticity in competitor-removal trials compared with control. Additionally, only subordinate males showed evidence of selection on plasticity; males that reduced submissive behavior after competitor removal had higher reproductive success, suggesting that sexual selection for social plasticity acts more strongly on subordinate males than dominant males. Our study suggests that sexual selection may favor the evolution of social plasticity for some but not all reproductive tactics.
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No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author.
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