Determining Male Sexual Selection In the Presence of Anal Fins Present On Model Fish

Abstract

Sexual selection has been a point of rigorous scientific study for a long time.  Scientists are trying to understand the many reasons and decisions that go into an organisms picking and mating with another.  In our experiment we studied the sexual selection of guppies (Poecilia reticulata).  We measured the sexual selection based on the presence or absence of an anal fin.  To measure this we placed two 3D printed fish on either side of a tank, and measured the amount of time that the live guppy remained on each side.  We recorded the time spent on each side and the amount of affectionate behavior.  The trials were measured in 5 minute increments.  We believe that the anal fin will deter the fish from mating with it, and could possibly see the guppy with the anal fin as a possible opponent.  Our experiment is somewhat different than others, because many experiments have been done about the ornamentation and the color of the fish rather than the presence or absence of an anal fin.  Our results showed that there was a side biased present (right side), but there was a significance in presence of the anal fin in sexual selection.