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
JF  - 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
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-006-0223-z
SN  - 0340-5443
VL  - 60
SP  - 794
EP  - 802
PB  - Springer
CY  - New York
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Girndt, Antje
A1  - Riesch, Rüdiger
A1  - Schröder, Christiane
A1  - Sehlupp, Ingo
A1  - Plath, Martin
A1  - Tiedemann, Ralph
T1  - Multiple paternity in different populations of the sailfin molly, Poecilia latipinna
JF  - Animal biology
N2  - Rates of multiple paternities were investigated in the sailfin molly (Poecilia latipinna), using eight microsatellite loci. Genotyping was performed for offspring and mothers in 40 broods from four allopatric populations from the south-eastern U.S.A. along a geographic stretch of 1200 km in west-east direction and approximately 200 km from north to south. No significant differences regarding rates of multiple paternities were found between populations despite sample populations stemming from ecologically divergent habitats. Even the most conservative statistical approach revealed a minimum of 70% of the broods being sired by at least two males, with an average of 1.80-2.95 putative fathers per brood. Within broods, one male typically sired far more offspring than would be expected under an assumed equal probability of all detected males siring offspring.
KW  - Promiscuity
KW  - mate choice
KW  - multiple paternity
KW  - sperm competition
KW  - Poeciliidae
Y1  - 2012
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1163/157075611X618192
SN  - 1570-7555
VL  - 62
IS  - 3
SP  - 245
EP  - 262
PB  - Brill
CY  - Leiden
ER  -