title: Intruder colour and light environment jointly determine how nesting male stickleback respond to simulated territorial intrusions.
abstract: Variation in male nuptial colour signals might be maintained by negative frequency-dependent selection. This can occur if males are more aggressive towards rivals with locally common colour phenotypes. To test this hypothesis, we introduced red or melanic three-dimensional printed-model males into the territories of nesting male stickleback from two optically distinct lakes with different coloured residents. Red-throated models were attacked more in the population with red males, while melanic models were attacked more in the melanic male lake. Aggression against red versus melanic models also varied across a depth gradient within each lake, implying that the local light environment also modulated the strength of negative frequency dependence acting on male nuptial colour.
authors: Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA danbolnick@austin.utexas.edu.
authors: Daniel I
authors: 0000-0003-3148-6296
authors: DI
authors: Bolnick
authors: Northwest High School, 2301 Texan Drive, Justin, TX 76247, USA.
authors: Kimberly
authors: 0000-0001-5454-2663
authors: K
authors: Hendrix
authors: Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
authors: Lyndon Alexander
authors: LA
authors: Jordan
authors: Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
authors: Thor
authors: T
authors: Veen
authors: Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
authors: Chad D
authors: CD
authors: Brock
mesh_terms: D000374:Aggression; D000818:Animals; D003116:Color; D008297:Male; D010641:Phenotype; D023701:Smegmamorpha; D013731:Territoriality
keywords: Gasterosteus aculeatus; intrasexual competition; negative frequency dependence; nuptial colour