A Splash of Color: Does Color Affect the Attraction of Male and Female Poecilia Reticulata?

Abstract

Guppies, or Poecilia Reticulata, are often studied by scientists because of their obvious behavioral patterns and sexual differences in appearance. While males are more vibrant, females typically have the final say in which male they decide to reproduce with. In this investigation, we studied the difference in mating behaviors between a male with a neutral colored female and the same male with brightly colored females. Our hypothesis is that more mating behaviors would be displayed toward the colored 3D printed model female guppies. We looked at previous studies where a male guppy was placed in a tank with a hot pink female guppy on one side and a neon green female guppy on the other. While graphing the results of past experiments we concluded that the male guppy spent more time with the translucent green(116001) guppy instead of with the hot pink(119001) guppy, with these results our hypothesis was not supported. In terms of sexual selection it is more liable that the male guppy will spend more time on the side with the translucent green guppy.