Differential courtship activity and alterations of reproductive success of competing gupply males as an indicator for low concentrations of aquatic pollutants
Differential courtship activity of guppy males competing for the same females was used as a bioindicator for low concentrations of water-borne pollutants in a previous study. Patterns of male sexual activity were chosen because they determine reproductive success. The mean difference between courtship activities of two male competitors determines the relative fitness of the male in question. Accordingly, the decrease in mean differential courtship after exposure to aquatic contaminants was predicted to cause a corresponding change in the relative reproductive success. The present study completed the previous one by repeating the experiment with a 10% addition of wastewater drawn from the last clearing basin of a Munich purification plant this time using virgin (non-inseminated) females which were receptive to male courtship. The females subsequently were allowed to produce as many offspring as possible. The number of young guppies sired by individual male competitors could easily be traced by the use of sex-linked phenotypic color patterns as markers. The purpose of these two studies was to show that the quantification of sexual activities of male guppies is useful for monitoring environmental alterations which affect fitness characters.
- Research Organization:
- Institute of Radiation Biology, Neuherberg (Germany, F.R.)
- OSTI ID:
- 6142980
- Journal Information:
- Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol.; (United States), Vol. 41:3
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Male body size predicts reproductive success but not within-clutch paternity patterns in gopher tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus)
Exposure to monocrotophos pesticide during sexual development causes the feminization/demasculinization of the reproductive traits and a reduction in the reproductive success of male guppies (Poecilia reticulata)
Related Subjects
FISHES
BEHAVIOR
WATER POLLUTION
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
WATER QUALITY
BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS
GENETICS
MALES
REPRODUCTION
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
BIOLOGY
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
POLLUTION
VERTEBRATES
560300* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology