title: Mate choice and genetic monogamy in a biparental, colonial fish.
abstract: In socially monogamous species, in which both sexes provide essential parental care, males as well as females are expected to be choosy. Whereas hundreds of studies have examined monogamy in biparental birds, only several such studies exist in fish. We examined mate choice in the biparental, colonial cichlid fishNeolamprologus caudopunctatusin Lake Tanganyika, Zambia. We genotyped more than 350 individuals at 11 microsatellite loci to investigate their mating system. We found no extrapair paternity, identifying this biparental fish as genetically monogamous. Breeders paired randomly according to their genetic similarity, suggesting a lack of selection against inbreeding avoidance. We further found that breeders paired assortatively by body size, a criterion of quality in fish, suggesting mutual mate choice. In a subsequent mate preference test in an aquarium setup, females showed a strong preference for male size by laying eggs near the larger of 2 males in 13 of 14 trials.
authors.affiliation: Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna , Savoyenstrasse 1a, 1160 Vienna , Austria.
authors.forename: Franziska C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Schaedelin
authors.affiliation: Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna , Savoyenstrasse 1a, 1160 Vienna , Austria.
authors.forename: Wouter F D
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: van Dongen
authors.affiliation: Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna , Savoyenstrasse 1a, 1160 Vienna , Austria.
authors.forename: Richard H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Wagner
keywords: assortative mating; cichlid; colony; extrapair paternity.