Reproductive behaviour of female rosy bitterling Rhodeus ocellatus in response to a female-biased operational sex ratio | |
Liao, Caiping1; Yu, Dan1; Chen, Yiyu1; Reichard, Martin2; Liu, Huanzhang1; Liu, HZ (reprint author), Chinese Acad Sci, Inst Hydrobiol, Key Lab Aquat Biodivers & Conservat, Wuhan 430072, Peoples R China. | |
2014 | |
Source Publication | BEHAVIOUR
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ISSN | 0005-7959 |
Volume | 151Issue:6Pages:755-768 |
Abstract | While the effect of Operational Sex Ratio (OSR) on reproductive behaviour of males has been studied extensively, little is known of the response of females facing a female-biased OSR. We investigated the effect of different OSRs on female reproductive behaviour using the rosy bitterling, Rhodeus ocellatus, a freshwater fish that lays its eggs inside the gills of living freshwater mussels. Three levels of OSR (male/female ratio 1:1, 1:3 and 1:5) were tested. We demonstrated that inspection of the mussel (spawning substrate) by individual females increased with increasingly female-biased OSR, but that the rate of following territorial male decreased. Aggression towards other females was not affected by the OSR. Interestingly, when a male bitterling led a non-dominant female towards the mussel, the dominant female would become aggressive to the male and chase the non-dominant female away. Aggression towards male followed a bell-shaped pattern and was highest at an OSR of 1:3. In both the female-biased OSRs examined, almost 50% of dominant females tended to chase away other females and defend the mussel, showing territoriality in a similar manner to males. These observations suggest that female reproductive behaviour is strongly affected by the OSR, and their reproductive tactics during courtship change from a passive role in courtship (following a male) to an active role in courtship (approaching a male), with presence of female territorial behaviour as the OSR becomes increasingly female-biased. This study provides strong evidence that a female-biased OSR has an important effect on female reproductive behaviour.; While the effect of Operational Sex Ratio (OSR) on reproductive behaviour of males has been studied extensively, little is known of the response of females facing a female-biased OSR. We investigated the effect of different OSRs on female reproductive behaviour using the rosy bitterling, Rhodeus ocellatus, a freshwater fish that lays its eggs inside the gills of living freshwater mussels. Three levels of OSR (male/female ratio 1:1, 1:3 and 1:5) were tested. We demonstrated that inspection of the mussel (spawning substrate) by individual females increased with increasingly female-biased OSR, but that the rate of following territorial male decreased. Aggression towards other females was not affected by the OSR. Interestingly, when a male bitterling led a non-dominant female towards the mussel, the dominant female would become aggressive to the male and chase the non-dominant female away. Aggression towards male followed a bell-shaped pattern and was highest at an OSR of 1:3. In both the female-biased OSRs examined, almost 50% of dominant females tended to chase away other females and defend the mussel, showing territoriality in a similar manner to males. These observations suggest that female reproductive behaviour is strongly affected by the OSR, and their reproductive tactics during courtship change from a passive role in courtship (following a male) to an active role in courtship (approaching a male), with presence of female territorial behaviour as the OSR becomes increasingly female-biased. This study provides strong evidence that a female-biased OSR has an important effect on female reproductive behaviour. |
Subtype | Article |
Keyword | Alternative Reproductive Behaviour Female Aggression OpeRational Sex Ratio Bitterling |
Department | [Liao, Caiping; Yu, Dan; Chen, Yiyu; Liu, Huanzhang] Chinese Acad Sci, Inst Hydrobiol, Key Lab Aquat Biodivers & Conservat, Wuhan 430072, Peoples R China; [Reichard, Martin] Acad Sci Czech Republic, Inst Vertebrate Biol, CS-60365 Brno, Czech Republic |
DOI | 10.1163/1568539X-00003168 |
WOS Headings | Science & Technology ; Life Sciences & Biomedicine |
Funding Organization | National Natural Science Foundation of China [30970443]; Czech Science Foundation [P505/12/G112] ; National Natural Science Foundation of China [30970443]; Czech Science Foundation [P505/12/G112] ; National Natural Science Foundation of China [30970443]; Czech Science Foundation [P505/12/G112] ; National Natural Science Foundation of China [30970443]; Czech Science Foundation [P505/12/G112] |
Indexed By | SCI |
Language | 英语 |
WOS Research Area | Behavioral Sciences ; Zoology |
WOS Subject | Behavioral Sciences ; Zoology |
WOS ID | WOS:000335205100004 |
WOS Keyword | SPERM COMPETITION ; MATING SYSTEMS ; SELECTION ; SERICEUS ; FISH ; MATES ; POPULATION ; DYNAMICS ; DENSITY ; SUCCESS |
Funding Organization | National Natural Science Foundation of China [30970443]; Czech Science Foundation [P505/12/G112] ; National Natural Science Foundation of China [30970443]; Czech Science Foundation [P505/12/G112] ; National Natural Science Foundation of China [30970443]; Czech Science Foundation [P505/12/G112] ; National Natural Science Foundation of China [30970443]; Czech Science Foundation [P505/12/G112] |
Citation statistics | |
Document Type | 期刊论文 |
Identifier | http://ir.ihb.ac.cn/handle/342005/20000 |
Collection | 水生生物多样性与资源保护研究中心_期刊论文 |
Corresponding Author | Liu, HZ (reprint author), Chinese Acad Sci, Inst Hydrobiol, Key Lab Aquat Biodivers & Conservat, Wuhan 430072, Peoples R China. |
Affiliation | 1.Chinese Acad Sci, Inst Hydrobiol, Key Lab Aquat Biodivers & Conservat, Wuhan 430072, Peoples R China 2.Acad Sci Czech Republic, Inst Vertebrate Biol, CS-60365 Brno, Czech Republic |
Recommended Citation GB/T 7714 | Liao, Caiping,Yu, Dan,Chen, Yiyu,et al. Reproductive behaviour of female rosy bitterling Rhodeus ocellatus in response to a female-biased operational sex ratio[J]. BEHAVIOUR,2014,151(6):755-768. |
APA | Liao, Caiping,Yu, Dan,Chen, Yiyu,Reichard, Martin,Liu, Huanzhang,&Liu, HZ .(2014).Reproductive behaviour of female rosy bitterling Rhodeus ocellatus in response to a female-biased operational sex ratio.BEHAVIOUR,151(6),755-768. |
MLA | Liao, Caiping,et al."Reproductive behaviour of female rosy bitterling Rhodeus ocellatus in response to a female-biased operational sex ratio".BEHAVIOUR 151.6(2014):755-768. |
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