Is There A Spark? The Effect That Iridescence Has On Male Poecilia reticulata Attraction to Females

Abstract

Poecilia reticulata are tropical, freshwater fish commonly referred to as “guppies”. Due to their vibrant colors, the species is also known as “rainbow fish”. This study's goal is to discover the effect of iridescence on male guppies and if there is a difference in attraction. Our hypothesis is that the male guppies will spend more time with sparkly females than non-sparkly females. In the experiment our control group was the true blue (109001) female models, and our experimental group was the sparkly dark blue (123001) female models. In our aquarium we made end zones and recorded the time the male spent at either end. After several trials, we found our hypothesis was supported. The male guppy was more attracted to the sparkly dark blue (123001) female, our data showed the male on average spent 116.3 seconds with the sparkly blue female (123001) compared to just 70 seconds on the left side of the tank with the true blue female guppy (109001). We believe the male guppy is attracted to the iridescence of the female fish, because the light reflecting off the female is more visually appealing.