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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
The effect of nest aggregation in courtship behaviour was tested experimentally in an
ecologically constrained, sex-role reversed population of the peacock blenny Salaria pavo.
Mixed sex groups of eight males and eight females were tested in experimental tanks, containing
eight potential nests either aggregated or dispersed. In the aggregated treatment, males spent
more time inside their nests and monopolized other potential nests, causing a female-biased
operational sex ratio (OSR). In the aggregated treatment, females also expressed more courtship
behaviour. The results in general support the prediction that the aggregation of nests promotes
male monopolization of potential nests, resulting in fewer nest-holding males and therefore
a female-biased OSR that leads to the reversal of sex roles.
Description
Keywords
Operational sex ratio Resource monopolization Ria Formosa Sex roles
Citation
Journal of Fish Biology, 74, 754-762