Mating and aggressive behaviour of (Cyprinodontiformes: Poeciliidae).

Despite the increasing interest in the use of intromittent male genitalia and coercive mating behaviour in poeciliids, detailed studies of the mating behaviour of most species in this family are lacking. We describe here the mating and aggressive behaviours of , and correlate them with the condition of the female's ovum and embryos (immature, mature and pregnant). performed a wide range of aggressive (sidle spread, tail beating, coordinate) and mating behaviours (approximation, touch, lateral display, touch-lateral display). Some behaviours (e.g. tail beating) are shared with other poeciliids, but two sexual behaviours (touch and lateral display) and one aggressive (coordinate) behaviour may be unique to and were not reported in a previous study. Differences in male behaviour when paired with a female with mature ovum (more mating displays, no agonistic movements) suggest that males detect the female's reproductive condition from some distance. The distinctive nature of mating behaviour in highlights the importance of studying different species to have a better understanding of the evolution of mating and aggressive behaviours in poeciliids. Digital video images related to the article are available at http://www.momo-p.com/showdetail-e.php?movieid=momo170720bo01a, http://www.momo-p.com/showdetail-e.php?movieid=momo170720bo02a and http://www.momo-p.com/showdetail-e.php?movieid=momo170720bo03a.