Warm Colors and the Effect on the Male Guppy’s Courtship Behavior

Abstract

It has been observed that male guppies have many different courtship behaviors, such as the spreading of their fins and biting females. Observational data is easy to gather because the courtship behaviors of the guppies are easy to notice. It is known that animals are typically more attracted to a mate with more vibrant colors and a unique pattern of stripes. We see this behavior in many species of bird, fish, and certain types of lizards (Waitt et al. in preparation 2003). To test this claim, we will examine the amount of courtship behavior from a male guppy when presented with a warm-colored, model fish in contrast with the gray, model fish, which serves as our control. This decision stems from our discovery that guppies take size and color into consideration when selecting a mate. We predicted that color would increase attraction--as opposed to size-- and would be more appealing to the eye. To test our hypothesis, we placed a pink, 3D-printed model fish attached to thin rods in a fish tank with one male guppy for five minutes and observed behaviors. However, the research we compiled does not resonate with swhat others have found in the past. The information that we gathered during this experiment showed that fish are attracted to warm colors (Godin, J.-G. J. 2003).