Title: I like big fins and I cannot lie: How differing sizes of the caudal fins attracts male suitors in Poecilia reticulata.

Abstract

Abstract: The goal of the study is to determine what features or characteristics in the female guppy are more attractive and desirable to the male guppy. We wanted to test the fin size and see if it was a determining factor in helping male guppies determine the fecundity of the female guppies. Our methods are not the same as they would be had we had access to the lab. For this experiment we matched different sets of 3D model guppies to see if the males were attracted to females with larger fins. Our hypothesis is that male Poecilia reticulata are attracted to females with larger caudal fins because they are more visually appealing. In regards to female mate choice, female guppies are more attracted to larger males because they are easier to see compared to a smaller one (MacLaren 2006). This may or may not be the case for the male guppy in this experiment. However, according to the results, this was not true for the male. During the trials the male spent most of his time near the female control model which was the one with the normal size caudal fin. The same reaction happened in the second trial and based off this our hypothesis was not supported. This could be because this was an experiment and we used 3D models instead of real guppies or simply the males did not prefer the female with larger fins. Another factor that could have affected our results is the fact that we were using 3D models.