Go Fish! Male Poecilia reticulata Mating Preference over Normal versus Disfigured Females

Abstract

Guppies, or Poecilia reticulata, are fish that are known to vary in size, shape, and color, allowing scientists to use them in many different ways for experiments. For our experiment, we decided to use them to test if male guppies preferred female with all their fins intact, or if they were more attracted to females missing their dorsal fin. We did 10 trials, each with different males, measuring their time on each side of the tank and their different interactions with the models. Our data showed no interaction between the guppies and our models, but showed that the male guppies spent around double the time on the side of the tank with the control model than the experimental model. Our hypothesis was supported, but neither the experimental model nor the control model was interacted with. This left us to believe that perhaps our model color choice of orange deterred the guppies.