title: Predictors of male insemination success in the mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki).
abstract: Identifying targets of selection is key to understanding the evolution of sexually selected behavioral and morphological traits. Many animals have coercive mating, yet little is known about whether and how mate choice operates when these are the dominant mating tactic. Here, we use multivariate selection analysis to examine the direction and shape of selection on male insemination success in the mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki). We found direct selection on only one of five measured traits, but correlational selection involving all five traits. Larger males with longer gonopodia and with intermediate sperm counts were more likely to inseminate females than smaller males with shorter gonopodia and extreme sperm counts. Our results highlight the need to investigate sexual selection using a multivariate framework even in species that lack complex sexual signals. Further, female choice appears to be important in driving the evolution of male sexual traits in this species where sexual coercion is the dominant mating tactic.
authors.affiliation: Division of Evolution, Ecology and Genetics Research School of Biology Australian National University Acton Canberra Australian Capital Territory 0200 Australia.
authors.forename: Megan L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Head
authors.affiliation: Division of Evolution, Ecology and Genetics Research School of Biology Australian National University Acton Canberra Australian Capital Territory 0200 Australia.
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vega-Trejo
authors.affiliation: Division of Evolution, Ecology and Genetics Research School of Biology Australian National University Acton Canberra Australian Capital Territory 0200 Australia.
authors.forename: Frances
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jacomb
authors.affiliation: Division of Evolution, Ecology and Genetics Research School of Biology Australian National University Acton Canberra Australian Capital Territory 0200 Australia.
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Jennions
keywords: Correlational selection; insemination success; mate choice; mating success; poeciliid