Territory inheritance in clownfish.
Animal societies composed of breeders and non-breeders present a challenge to evolutionary theory because it is not immediately apparent how natural selection can preserve the genes that underlie non-breeding strategies. The clownfish Amphiprion percula forms groups composed of a breeding pair and 0-4 non-breeders. Non-breeders gain neither present direct, nor present indirect benefits from the association. To determine whether non-breeders obtain future direct benefits, I investigated the pattern of territory inheritance. I show that non-breeders stand to inherit the territory within which they reside. Moreover, they form a perfect queue for breeding positions; a queue from which nobody disperses and within which nobody contests. I suggest that queuing might be favoured by selection because it confers a higher probability of attaining breeding status than either dispersing or contesting. This study illustrates that, within animal societies, individuals may tolerate non-breeding positions solely because of their potential to realize benefits in the future.
Buston
Peter M
PM
Cornell University, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Seelev G. Mudd Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA. buston@nceas.ucsb.edu
D000818:Animals; D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D019370:Observation; D010219:Papua New Guinea; D010473:Perciformes / Q000502:physiology*; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D012930:Social Dominance; D013731:Territoriality