You have a nice dorsal: The effect of female guppy dorsal fin size on male sexual selection

Abstract

Sexual selection in guppies (Poecilia reticulata) can be affected by a variety of physical characteristics of guppies. A wealth of knowledge exists concerning the physical features and behaviors that influence mate choice. However, we found few studies that specifically show the effect of female guppy dorsal fin size on male guppy sexual selection. We set up an experiment in which we exposed male guppies to 3D-printed model fishes which had varying dorsal fin sizes. The results of our experiment indicate that the size of females’ dorsal fins do influence male guppies’ interests. Our study contributes to the scientific community by adding to the wealth of knowledge on the sexual selection of guppies.