Size and the Selection Pattern of Male Guppies

Abstract

During this experiment, we wanted to see if the size of female guppies, either large or small female guppies, changed in preference with in the male sexual preference. We used two true blue guppies, one large and one control, to try to catch male guppy’s attention. These guppies would be placed in certain area and facing a certain way to make sure they were as similar as they could be. We were looking for certain movements from the male fish to express this interest. These movements included certain fanning waves, or a pattern in which the male guppy would swim. We used a program, that was given to all Biology 1114 students, to help collect how many times a guppy switched sides, and how long it stayed in each side for the whole trial. After our group went through multiple trials with different guppies, we found that the guppies were more interested in the smaller female guppies.