Mating permissiveness in two congeners of live bearing fishes Jessica Bautista*, Brittni Broca, Dr. Raelynn Deaton Haynes St. Edward’s University Jessica Bautista*, Brittni Broca, Dr. Raelynn Deaton Haynes St. Edward’s University

Hybridization

Introduction  Gambusia  Large genus ~40 species  Live-bearing fish  Focus on G. affinis and G. geiseri  Gambusia  Large genus ~40 species  Live-bearing fish  Focus on G. affinis and G. geiseri

Gambusia affinis

Gambusia geiseri

Overview  Objective -To see whether increasing the species ratio and the density of the females will increase permissiveness in male behavior  Hypothesis -Permissiveness will increase with the density of the females and as species ratio changes  Objective -To see whether increasing the species ratio and the density of the females will increase permissiveness in male behavior  Hypothesis -Permissiveness will increase with the density of the females and as species ratio changes

Methods SpeciesMale BehaviorsFemale Behaviors Gambusia affinis Gonopodial Display Copulation Attempt Swim on Bottom Swim Away Allow Mating Gambusia geiseri Gonopodial Display Copulation Attempt Swim on Bottom Swim Away Allow Mating

Methods/Experimental Design

Experimental Design Forced Choice Design Open Choice Design

Control (Experiments 1-4)

Part 1 (Experiments 5-8)

Results Slide p>0.05 p<0.05 p>0.05 N=22 N=30 Kruskell Wallace

Results Slide p>0.05 p<0.05 N=22 N=30 Kruskell Wallace

Results Slide Mann Whitney U, df = 25, p=0.164 Mann Whitney U-test Purple-Gonopodial Display Red-Copulation Attempt

Summary of Results  First finding: male G. affinis seem to prefer the heterospecific (did not support our predictions)  This may be due to the Novelty Effect  Second finding: G. affinis males increase mating behaviors as you add females (supports our predictions)  First finding: male G. affinis seem to prefer the heterospecific (did not support our predictions)  This may be due to the Novelty Effect  Second finding: G. affinis males increase mating behaviors as you add females (supports our predictions)

Significance and Future Work  Spring, G. nobilis  Significance  Hybridization Conservation  Spring, G. nobilis  Significance  Hybridization Conservation

Acknowledgements St. Edward’s University TG Public Benefit Grant Program Dr. Raelynn Deaton Haynes Brittni Broca Dr. Richard Kopec Michael Lykaios Valerie Mejia James Stewart Jacqueline Chisholm St. Edward’s University TG Public Benefit Grant Program Dr. Raelynn Deaton Haynes Brittni Broca Dr. Richard Kopec Michael Lykaios Valerie Mejia James Stewart Jacqueline Chisholm

Questions?