The effect of female guppy opacity on courting behaviors of male Poecilia reticulata

Abstract

Poecilia reticulata are a prey species that show selective courtship behaviors toward mates that attract their eye. This is a comparison study observing the male P. reticulata in regard to their courtship behaviors toward different opacity of female models. We hypothesized that the male guppy would be more attracted to the solid, true red colored female model over the translucent red model. There were 10 overall trials conducted with the models presented to a different guppy each time for 5 minutes. This study discovered that the guppy was more likely to show courtship preference to the true red model rather than the translucent red model. They showed more attraction to the solid opacity. This preference to an opaquer female mate is important to understanding the history of P. reticulata mating patterns.