Male and female preferences for nest characteristics under paternal care
Abstract Nests play a critical role for offspring development across the animal kingdom. Nest quality may contribute to the builder's extended phenotype and serve as an ornament during mate choice. We examined male and female nest choice in the common goby (Pomatoschistus microps), a benthic fi...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2019-07-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5363 |
| _version_ | 1818945006823538688 |
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| author | Varpu Pärssinen Nadine Kalb Martin Vallon Nils Anthes Katja Heubel |
| author_facet | Varpu Pärssinen Nadine Kalb Martin Vallon Nils Anthes Katja Heubel |
| author_sort | Varpu Pärssinen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Nests play a critical role for offspring development across the animal kingdom. Nest quality may contribute to the builder's extended phenotype and serve as an ornament during mate choice. We examined male and female nest choice in the common goby (Pomatoschistus microps), a benthic fish with male‐only parental care where females deposit eggs in male‐built nests. Using prebuilt nest models, we independently manipulated two candidate nest quality traits: (a) nest entrance width with a role in oxygen ventilation, and (b) extent of sand cover with a role in camouflage. In simultaneous choice trials, male gobies exhibited no preference for any nest model type. This suggests that initial characteristics of a nesting substrate have minor importance for males, which usually remodel the nest. Females were given a choice between two males occupying either entrance‐ or cover‐manipulated nests. The same pair of males was then exposed to a second female but now with alternated nest types assigned. Most females were consistent in choosing the same, typically the heavier male of the two regardless of nest properties. However, the females that chose the same nest regardless of the male preferred low over high sand coverage and narrow over wide nest entrance. Our results indicate that females base their mating decision on a combination of male phenotype and nest traits. While we found no indication that females are attracted to highly decorated nests, our study is the first in fishes to disentangle a preference for narrow (and thus more protective) nest entrances independent of nest coverage. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T07:52:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4ab4db9bac374e78a8b63ed610fe7e24 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T07:52:15Z |
| publishDate | 2019-07-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-4ab4db9bac374e78a8b63ed610fe7e242022-12-21T19:47:48ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582019-07-019137780779110.1002/ece3.5363Male and female preferences for nest characteristics under paternal careVarpu Pärssinen0Nadine Kalb1Martin Vallon2Nils Anthes3Katja Heubel4Department of Biosciences University of Helsinki Helsinki FinlandInstitute for Evolution and Ecology University of Tübingen Tübingen GermanyInstitute for Evolution and Ecology University of Tübingen Tübingen GermanyInstitute for Evolution and Ecology University of Tübingen Tübingen GermanyDepartment of Biosciences University of Helsinki Helsinki FinlandAbstract Nests play a critical role for offspring development across the animal kingdom. Nest quality may contribute to the builder's extended phenotype and serve as an ornament during mate choice. We examined male and female nest choice in the common goby (Pomatoschistus microps), a benthic fish with male‐only parental care where females deposit eggs in male‐built nests. Using prebuilt nest models, we independently manipulated two candidate nest quality traits: (a) nest entrance width with a role in oxygen ventilation, and (b) extent of sand cover with a role in camouflage. In simultaneous choice trials, male gobies exhibited no preference for any nest model type. This suggests that initial characteristics of a nesting substrate have minor importance for males, which usually remodel the nest. Females were given a choice between two males occupying either entrance‐ or cover‐manipulated nests. The same pair of males was then exposed to a second female but now with alternated nest types assigned. Most females were consistent in choosing the same, typically the heavier male of the two regardless of nest properties. However, the females that chose the same nest regardless of the male preferred low over high sand coverage and narrow over wide nest entrance. Our results indicate that females base their mating decision on a combination of male phenotype and nest traits. While we found no indication that females are attracted to highly decorated nests, our study is the first in fishes to disentangle a preference for narrow (and thus more protective) nest entrances independent of nest coverage.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5363extended phenotypemate choicemultiple cuesnest qualityparental investmentsexual conflict |
| spellingShingle | Varpu Pärssinen Nadine Kalb Martin Vallon Nils Anthes Katja Heubel Male and female preferences for nest characteristics under paternal care Ecology and Evolution extended phenotype mate choice multiple cues nest quality parental investment sexual conflict |
| title | Male and female preferences for nest characteristics under paternal care |
| title_full | Male and female preferences for nest characteristics under paternal care |
| title_fullStr | Male and female preferences for nest characteristics under paternal care |
| title_full_unstemmed | Male and female preferences for nest characteristics under paternal care |
| title_short | Male and female preferences for nest characteristics under paternal care |
| title_sort | male and female preferences for nest characteristics under paternal care |
| topic | extended phenotype mate choice multiple cues nest quality parental investment sexual conflict |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5363 |
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