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The effect of temperature on mate preferences and female-female interactions in Syngnathus abaster

dc.contributor.authorSilva, K.
dc.contributor.authorVieira, Maria Natividade
dc.contributor.authorAlmada, Vítor Carvalho
dc.contributor.authorMonteiro, Nuno Miguel
dc.date.accessioned2013-10-02T19:21:56Z
dc.date.available2013-10-02T19:21:56Z
dc.date.issued2007
dc.description.abstractDespite much effort to ascertain the consequences of temperature variation for a wide range of animal performance traits, the effect of temperature on interactions among organisms is still poorly understood. The present work tests for a direct influence of water temperature on sexual recognition, mate preferences and femaleefemale interactions in the pipefish, Syngnathus abaster. Three experiments were conducted by monitoring time spent in the vicinity of conspecifics at three water temperatures intended to reflect sea water temperatures before the onset of reproduction (15 ºC) and during the early (18º C) and late breeding season (24 ºC). Four major results emerged: (1) S. abaster can visually discriminate potential mates from fish of the same sex; (2) males and females responded differently with the former diverting their attention towards the opposite sex at intermediate (18º C) and high temperatures (24º C), while the latter only showed a significant interest in potential mates at 24 ºC, devoting an equal amount of interest towards both males and females at 18º C; (3) at breeding season water temperatures, both sexes discriminated against smaller partners, preferring larger ones; (4) different-sized females adopted distinct temperature-modulated behavioural responses, possibly because large dominant females, which engage in competition at 18º C, constrained the reproduction of smaller ones, which seem to compete only at 24º C. These results highlight the importance of temperature as an effective agent in the modulation of S. abaster reproductive behaviour. Considerations on the ecological significance of the observed behavioural patterns are also discussed.por
dc.identifier.citationAnimal Behaviour, 74, 1525-1533por
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2007.03.008
dc.identifier.issn0003-3472
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10400.12/2406
dc.language.isoengpor
dc.peerreviewedyespor
dc.publisherElsevierpor
dc.subjectFemale-female competitionpor
dc.subjectMate choicepor
dc.subjectPipefishpor
dc.subjectReproductionpor
dc.subjectSexual selectionpor
dc.subjectSyngnathidaepor
dc.subjectSyngnathus abasterpor
dc.subjectWater temperaturepor
dc.titleThe effect of temperature on mate preferences and female-female interactions in Syngnathus abasterpor
dc.typejournal article
dspace.entity.typePublication
oaire.citation.conferencePlaceLondonpor
oaire.citation.endPage1533por
oaire.citation.startPage1525por
oaire.citation.titleAnimal Behaviourpor
oaire.citation.volume74por
rcaap.rightsrestrictedAccesspor
rcaap.typearticlepor

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