Équipe écologie évolutive, UMR CNRS 5561 biogéosciences, université de Bourgogne, 6, boulevard Gabriel, 21000 Dijon, France.
C R Biol. 2011 Dec;334(12):906-10. doi: 10.1016/j.crvi.2011.08.004. Epub 2011 Oct 4.
Although size-assortative mating in convict cichlids, Amatitliana nigrofasciata, is supposed to result from mutual mating preference for larger individuals, female choice in relation to male size remains ambiguous. We revisited the evidence for directional preference for larger males in female convict cichlids using a classical two-way choice apparatus in which each female could decide to spend time in front of a small male or a large one. We found evidence for female preference for large males, as assessed from association preference during a 4-hour period following encounter. Furthermore, females decided to spawn in front of the initially preferred male more often than expected by chance. Our results thus confirm the existence of a directional preference for large males in female convict cichlids, and indicate that association preference measured over a short period of time can provide a quick and reliable proxy for reproductive preference in this species.
尽管在黑身蓝魔鬼慈鲷（Amatitliana nigrofasciata）中存在大小选择性交配，这种现象被认为是由于个体对较大个体的相互交配偏好所致，但与雄性大小相关的雌性选择仍然存在模糊性。我们使用经典的双向选择装置重新审视了雌性黑身蓝魔鬼慈鲷对较大雄性的定向偏好的证据，在该装置中，每只雌性可以选择在小雄鱼或大雄鱼面前度过时间。我们发现，从接触后 4 小时的关联偏好来看，雌性确实对大雄性有偏好。此外，雌性选择与最初偏好的雄性产卵的频率高于随机预期。因此，我们的研究结果证实了在雌性黑身蓝魔鬼慈鲷中存在对大雄性的定向偏好，并且表明在短时间内测量的关联偏好可以为该物种的生殖偏好提供快速而可靠的替代指标。
