TY  - JOUR
A1  - Riesch, Rüdiger
A1  - Schlupp, Ingo
A1  - Tobler, Michael
A1  - Plath, Martin
T1  - Reduction of the association preference for conspecifics in cave-dwelling Atlantic mollies, Poecilia mexicana
T2  - Behavioral ecology and sociobiology
N2  - Cave animals are widely recognised as model organisms to study regressive evolutionary processes like the reduction of eyes. In this paper, we report on the regressive evolution of species discrimination in the cave molly, Poecilia mexicana, which, unlike other cave fishes, still has functional eyes. This allowed us to examine the response to both visual and non-visual cues involved in species discrimination. When surface-dwelling females were given a chance to associate with either a conspecific or a swordtail (Xiphophorus hellerii) female, they strongly preferred the conspecific female both when multiple cues and when solely visual cues were available to the female. No association preference was observed when only non-visual cues were provided. In contrast, cave-dwelling females showed no preference under all testing conditions, suggesting that species recognition mechanisms have been reduced. We discuss the role of species discrimination in relation to habitat differences.
KW  - cave fish
KW  - Poeciliidae
KW  - Xiphophorus
KW  - shoaling
KW  - species recognition
Y1  - 2006
UR  - https://publishup.uni-potsdam.de/frontdoor/index/index/docId/46892
SN  - 0340-5443
VL  - 60
SP  - 794
EP  - 802
PB  - Springer
CY  - New York
ER  -